NSW Passes Stronger Child Sexual Abuse Laws, But Priests Remain Protected
Late last night, the parliament of NSW passed one of the most comprehensive criminal justice reform packages in state history. The state’s attorney general Mark Speakman introduced the legislation designed to crackdown on child sexual predators into state parliament on...
NSW Police Officer Avoids Prison After Filming and Publishing Sexual Act Without Consent
A New South Wales police officer has been spared prison time after filming a colleague without consent while they were having sex and sharing it online to boast to colleagues. 28-year old senior constable Timothy Patterson filmed a sexual encounter...
Tough New Laws Against Hate Speech
The NSW government is proposing to introduce new laws designed to crack down on hate speech and racial vilification that are intended to incite violence. Under the proposed new laws, those who incite or threaten violence against others on the...
Catholic Priests Refuse to Report Child Sexual Abuse
South Australian Catholic priests say they will defy a forthcoming state law which will require them to report information received during past or present confessions about child sex abuse. The South Australian Catholic Church has made it clear its members...
Australia Pioneered Drug Harm Reduction and Must Continue
Programs, strategies and policies designed to prevent or reduce the harms associated with the use of illicit substances are collectively known as harm reduction. This approach to drug use has been a key pillar of Australia’s National Drug Strategy since...
Trio Not Guilty of Breaking Anti-Protest Laws
Mudgee Local Court magistrate David Day has dismissed the proceedings against two women and a man who were arrested and charged last year while protesting against the expansion of the Wilpinjong coal mine, near the town of Wollar where they live....
New Programme Helps Skilled Migrants Obtain Appropriate Work
Since the end of the second world war in 1945, about 7 million people from overseas have settled in Australia, around 18,000 of which are refugees. Many highly skilled workers struggle with language barriers and cultural differences, which can impede...
Challenging Abuse of Police Powers: An Interview With Greens MLC David Shoebridge
The NSW police use of drug detections dog in public places without a warrant has been widely discredited in the public eye. The damning NSW Ombudsman report into the program was released as far back as 2006. NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge...
Australia Accused of War Crimes in Afghanistan
Australian Defence Minister, Marise Payne, has defended Australian soldiers after internal reports suggest they have engaged in the “unsanctioned and illegal application of violence” in Afghanistan. SASR soldiers accused of heinous crimes Disturbing reports have surfaced from inside the Australian...
Pioneer Sex Worker Rights Activist Awarded Order of Australia
The governor general, Sir Peter Cosgrove, announced 1007 awards in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list on Monday. And in an Australian first, a leading sex worker rights activist has been made an officer of the Order of Australia (AO). Julie Bates...
