Always Independent: An Interview with Murrawarri Republic Chair Fred Hooper
This weekend in Brisbane, the Referendum Council is holding the last of the Dialogues: a series of meetings with First Nations peoples to discuss the issue of recognising the nation’s Indigenous people within the Australian constitution. The findings from the meetings...
RIP Government Accountability in Australia: A Privacy Guide for Journalists
With the scope of online and telecommunications surveillance today, it seems we’re very much living in an Orwellian age. Last week, the complete version of the Australian government’s mandatory metadata regime came into effect. Although the data retention laws were enacted on October 13,...
NSW Lawyer Reprimanded for Breaching Practising Certificate Condition
Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim All Australian lawyers are required to hold a current practising certificate in order to practise law in this country. The certificate acts as a licence, allowing a person to provide legal services. In New South Wales, they’re...
Government Lies About Metadata Scheme
As we all were preparing for the Easter break, the government switched on the full version of its metadata retention system. Although the legislation enabling the scheme was passed in October 2015 – and data has been stored and accessed...
Free Speech and Exposing Corruption: An Interview with Wendy Bacon
Wendy Bacon was just 23-years old when sentenced to eight days in prison and sent to Silverwater Remand and Reception Centre for her actions following the publication of a poem. Although she was later released, Wendy’s case became a defining...
Abuse of Children in Australian Detention Centres Continues
Fifteen youths are still being detained on remand (ie with their cases yet to be heard) at Victoria’s Barwon maximum security adult prison on the outskirts of Geelong in a move the Victorian Supreme Court ruled unlawful in December last year. The...
At the Frontline of Gender Activism: An Interview with Norrie
The rights of transgender and gender diverse people have come a long way over the last decades. Now, high-profile trans celebrities like Laverne Cox and Australian model Andrej Pejić have moved into the spotlight, while Cate McGregor is a high-ranking...
NSW Police Crackdown is Devastating the Nimbin Community
NSW police carried out a series of six raids in Nimbin and Lismore on June 28 last year. A total of eleven men between the ages of 21 and 35 were arrested and charged with supplying marijuana. These men are known...
NSW Lawyer Steals Over $300,000 From Clients
Another NSW lawyer has been struck off the roll of legal practitioners. Although, it’s not a common occurrence, there are lawyers who breach their professional obligations and commit serious offences against their very own clients. And when it does happen, the...
Community Legal Centres in Crisis: An Interview with Australian Pro Bono Centre CEO John Corker
Pro bono legal work plays a vital role in the Australian legal system. It consists of lawyers providing legal services for free or at a significantly reduced cost, “with no expectation of a commercial return.” The “justice gap” - made...
