Defending the Nauru 19: An Interview with Sydney Lawyer Christian Hearn
Nineteen people from the island of Nauru are facing trial accused of public order offences following a protest against the Nauruan government on June 16 2015. Now known as the Nauru 19, the group were part of hundreds of locals who’d gathered...
Explaining the Rohingya Crisis: An Interview with the ARNO
The UN Refugee Agency reports at least 420,000 Rohingya people have fled across the border from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh since violence erupted in their homelands in late August. The refugees are now living in makeshift camps in the Cox’s...
Stop Murdering Drug Users: An Interview with Harm Reduction Advocate Pascal Tanguay
At 8pm on Thursday night, Catholic leaders across the Philippines rang their church bells simultaneously for five minutes to honour those who have died during president Rodrigo Duterte’s “reign of terror.” The ritual will take place for the next 40 days and...
Medicinal Cannabis for the Elderly: An Interview with Canna Nanna Karen Burge
The Therapeutic Goods Administration’s Special Access Scheme (SAS) is a formal arrangement that allows patients to import unapproved therapeutic goods into the country. There are two main pathways to access imported medicines via this scheme: category A and category B....
Marriage Equality: An Interview with Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby
At 2.15 pm on Thursday, the High Court of Australia ruled against the challenge to the voluntary and non-binding marriage equality postal vote. As he sat in parliament, Malcolm Turnbull was told of the decision via text, which is a...
It’s Time for an Australian Bill of Rights: An Interview with Senator Nick McKim
Gillian Triggs issued a stern warning when she finished her term as Australia’s Rights Commissioner earlier this year. Reflecting on her five years at the helm of the Australian Human Rights Commission, she lamented that “we are regressing on almost...
Drug Law Reform: An Interview with Former NSW DPP Nicholas Cowdery
On 2 June 2011, the Global Commission on Drug Policy declared, “The global war on drugs has failed.” In its report, the commission found that prohibition has led to increased drug consumption, the growth of powerful crime networks and contributed...
Closing the Gap: An Interview with Ngalla Maya Founder Mervyn Eades
A non-profit mentoring program for young people leaving prison in WA is gaining national attention. Situated in the Perth suburb of Belmont, the Ngalla Maya program is in its third year of operation. And due to its success, it’s recently been granted...
Redefining Medical Cannabis: An Interview with This Week in Weed TV’s Loren Paul Wiener
Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale moved a disallowance motion through the federal Senate on June 13 this year, which allowed terminally ill patients to import up to three months’ worth of medical marijuana products from overseas. The motion reversed...
Digital Surveillance: An Interview with the Cyberspace Law and Policy Community’s David Vaile
Big data is watching you. And you might want to get used to it, because its reach is getting wider. These days, it’s common knowledge that governments, security agencies and even social media companies are monitoring people’s behaviour on the...
