Parliament regularly passes laws that infringe Australians’ human rights: here’s a rundown from just one recent report. As we debate whether the Senator or the King transgressed more, experts are saying new conservative governments in the north are 'taking our kids back to the darker ages'. A judge blames everyone but judges for a low opinion of the legal system, but examples abound of how the quality of the law is much strained, particularly in the south, by judicial shenanigans. Other highlights in this issue include: Ask no questions, find no corruption: new ICAC methodology  Dre ..read more

A Human Rights Act, reform of courts and evidence practices, as well as a wholesale overhaul of how we think about and treat Indigenous Australians, particularly the kids, are the priorities for the 2025 federal government from day 1. These are not party-political issues, but merely benchmarks for an improving and better Australian society for all its people. Civil liberties and rights people – all Australians – should demand no less.   Other highlights in this issue include: •  Call for better prison reporting, restoring debit card basic rights  •  Police ‘spin' warps rep ..read more

This CLArion addresses the types of lies, untruths and spin that end up costing us dearly in liberties and rights, which can cause tragedy as shown in children’s jails in WA and adult jails around the nation. The WA Department of Justice has admitted lying…but how many other departments, agencies and police/prison bodies are doing the same?    Other highlights include:   • ’Modern slavery’ in Canberra? •  Police ban journo from convention centre for 12 months •  Boyle and Duggan: Drop the charges, AG  •  World’s judges manage to not spot the elephant on a ti ..read more

With a federal election only months away, the government needs to lift its game over citizens' liberties and rights if it is to be re-elected. The ballyhooed promise of a National Commission Against Corruption is not being realised, Robodebt repercussions remain unresolved, campaigning internationally against the death penalty is moribund, and a strong parliamentary committee drive for a thorough overhaul of human rights, including a new federal Human Rights Act, languish for want of a formal government response. Maybe the newly sworn in Ministry will help, but it's really a swift change ..read more

Darwin becomes the corruption capital of Australia this month as a major conference alights on fertile soil in the Top End. In the Far South, politicians are trying to solve judicial dilemmas by changing the deck chairs, when it’s the state’s culture,  secrecy and establishment that lies at the core of most problems. Both jurisdictions need a Human Rights Act to help save the little people from the powers-that-will-always-be. Meanwhile, the federal HRA campaign is quiescent, but boosted by Australians realising how important Julian Assange’s rights and liberty became to most of us.&n ..read more

A federal parliament committee has urged the Albanese government to enact a Human Rights Act for Australia. The Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, chaired by Labor MHR Josh Burns, made 17 wide-raning and positive recommendations in a report released on 30 May. Australia needs to protect human rights in law like other liberal democracies do, mount a major national education campaign, and school all public servants to fully consider human rights. Parliament itself needs to scrutinise human rights much more closely, the committee also says. Other items in the June issue include: Camp ..read more

Searching the CLA Website CLA uses its own search engine to find what you may be looking for on the CLA website.  We don’t share your search or results with other search engines. Click this icon on the search bar to limit your search to specific categories. The search automatically commences as you type indicated by the spinning circle – just wait for the results. Test The post test1 first appeared on Civil Liberties Australia. The post test1 appeared first on Civil Liberties Australia ..read more

By Bill Rowlings, CEO of CLA Tasmania should have a Human Rights Act, its pre-eminent legal research body says. The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute on 30 April 2024 released a report making 21 recommendations and urging the state to become the fourth jurisdiction in Australia to adopt human rights legislation. The ACT since 2004, Victoria since 2006 and Queensland since 2020 already have human rights laws, with a total 42 years of experience in operating them. The TLRI’s report – A Charter of Human Rights for Tasmania? Update – reviewed and updated its 2007 report on human rights in Tasman ..read more

Four different public inquiries have been investigating problems around how Australia has handled the COVID-19 pandemic. One inquiry only recommends basing further detailed probes into lessons for the future on the basis of the human rights of Australians. The C-19 issue sits alongside key questions generally about whether police, prosecutors and the courts are letting Australia down. It is time for a national inquiry into justice: there has never been one. Other items in May include: Integrity of judges in Australia being questioned  Can you believe evidence given in court by police? Fo ..read more

Why federal human rights don’t ‘entrench racism’  By Dr Kristine Klugman, President of Civil Liberties Australia  Rebuttal of Quadrant article: Entrenching Racism as a Human Right, authored by Augusto Zimmermann and Gabriel Moens 17 April 2024 To these authors, the status quo is too avant garde. Their attitude to progress in social policies is best reflected in the moaning predictions of Hanrahran – “We’ll all be rooned.”* They view any change in the social order as a threat to their own positions of privilege as old white men.  They fear losing prestige and power.  Their d ..read more