New Surveillance Laws Will Disproportionately Target Australian Muslims
A Home Affairs national security bill that enhances the ability of foreign-focused intelligence agencies to spy on domestic targets, while reducing the need for oversight, sauntered through both federal houses on 30 March as if it wasn’t dramatically expanding the...
NSW Police Officer Found Guilty of Serious Misconduct for Humiliating Child
There must be a question on the NSW police officer application form to ensure that potential employees have a certain lack of humanity that compels them to act in an offensive and often harmful manner that in essence conveys the...
Vaccine Mandates for School Teachers Are Unlawful, Human Rights Commission Asserts
Although the pandemic panic has subsided somewhat, case numbers remain high and “no jab, no job” vaccination mandates remain in place for millions of workers across Australia. In some cases the definition of being ‘fully vaccinated’ - which once meant...
The Offence of Juror Misconduct in New South Wales
The trial of two men accused of sexual assault has been vacated and a fourth trial ordered as a result of a ‘flagrant breach’ of the trial judge’s directions, which was found to have amounted to juror misconduct. The jury...
What is a ‘Stay of Proceedings’ in New South Wales?
Former rugby league player Chris Dawson will stand trial for allegedly murdering his wife Lynette Dawson 40 years ago. Mr Dawson pleaded not guilty to murder charges laid against him in 2018. He was scheduled to stand trial in February...
Federal Parties and Independents on How They Plan to Uphold Civil Liberties
The close to a decade that the federal Coalition has been in power has seen an ever-increasing authoritarian creep. The last three years under Morrison have seen this rise to such a level that those “quiet Australians” he posits get...
Coalition Is Undermining Our Human Rights Commission, Global Body Asserts
The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) is an independent body representing and monitoring national human rights institutions (NHRIs), which are bodies set up within countries to promote and protect rights, especially against government encroachments. The GANHRI Sub-Committee...
The Cocaine Will Flow, Despite Police Parading Latest Seizure
Yet another image of police parading in front of a large haul of drugs appeared in the press last week. Located off the South Australian coast by the Australian Border Force on 18 March, the drugs were detected after intelligence suggested...
Auditor-General Slams NSW Police Force Over Domestic Violence Failures
The New South Wales Police Force has a significant job ahead of it to manage increasing rates of domestic violence offences. Two reports released in recent days show point to a number of specific failings that need to be addressed....
Thorpe Delivers Bill to Establish Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Law
Adopted on 13 September 2007, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is a comprehensive document that sets out the universal rights of First Peoples globally, including their rights to self-determination and to free, prior and informed...
