As the Actor represents Everyman, so Paul Hogan represents us all over the bureaucratic inequities of oppressive legality and secrecy laws in Australia. He is now locked in the debtor's prison the nation is becoming, reverting to its penal role two centu… more »

In a recent series of articles, The Economist queries the sanity of the USA locking away more and more people in jails, some for almost unbelievable 'crimes', at increasingly greater cost year by year. There are lessons here for Australia.Crime and p… more »

CLA works with advanced and honours students on topics of mutual interest, where the student gains credits for 'internship' programs or honours studies, and CLA benefits from excellent research papers which help to shape a current or future dilemma. See… more »

'Lateline' is on the TV, and its part 1 of a two-part program regarding Mentoring Team Alpha in Afghanistan...and I think of the Australian men killed in Afghanistan since 2001. I reflect on my five years in Iraq and the men killed there. I think of t… more »

Editor, West Australian: I respond to your report 'Frustrated DPP sees flaws in quality of police probe' 29 June 2010, p7. I have read Coroner Alastair Hope's report on Aborigine elder Mr Ward's death in custody, in the back of a prison transfer van,… more »

Around Australia, drug testing of drivers takes places with no proven benefit to society and great penalty to people's civil liberties. In WA, the accuracy of the tests is declining, research in SA shows (see CLArion newsletter July 2010). Here, Bill Bus… more »

Do the 'bikie laws' breach rights?What does CLA think of the SA legislation - the 'bikie laws' - now being considered, on appeal, by the High Court. Does the Act breach an individual's human rights, we were asked by a student?Dear Ms XXXXX,Serio… more »

Prisons, parole and a ticket-of-leave system are in the DNA of many Australians, WA's Chief Justice Wayne Martin points out. It's time we re-thought sentencing and parole to better reflect what today's community wants...and it may be a case of deja vu al… more »

If you're planning a trip to the USA, you might to hear this tale of how one Canadian husband and wife team, intent on a shopping trip, ran into language difficulties. Click for more »... more »

Police should not investigate police deaths in custody, CLA's Keith McEwan says. There needs to be an independent body set up for such cases - justice demands no less, he says. Investigate independently The Editor, The Age: Your editorial ‘Justice te… more »

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has the opportunity to resolve an overwhelming injustice by acting on the Bryce case, where a man who could not be jailed elsewhere in Australia languishes in a Queensland jail on a federal charge. The time to act is no… more »

The Rudd government pans to set up a secret list of people suspected only of arson, and to possibly restrain, detain or put suspects under active surveillance for three months every year. The proposals , which represent a new low for civil liberties in A… more »

Aborigines continue to be massively over-represented in the nation's jails. But in WA, the situation is beyond dire: Aborigines are closing in on being half the total number of people jailed in the state, when they comprise only about 3% of the state's… more »

A former SAS soldier, the newest member of the WA Parliament, delivered a telling commentary on the erosion of civil liberties in Australia when he gave his maiden speech in March. "...a speech capable of making the hairs on the back of your neck stand u… more »

Victoria is one of the more enlightened states in looking after Indigenous people...but still the statistics are appalling, as this analysis by Keith McEwan (pictured) points out. "Life is not so good for an Indigenous person living in Victoria...or, for… more »