Category: Human Rights
Assault on
liberties
long, laboured
Article posted on Wednesday 03 February 2010
Round-robins of 'tough on crime' legislation go from state to state, nation to nation. Here, noted Manchester QC Mark George analyses the cumulative effect of years of repressive laws in the UK, which have whittled away the traditional protections of the… more »
Proud nation can be compassionate
Article posted on Tuesday 26 January 2010
Being proud of Australia is a good thing on Australia Day, but embedded in nationalism always lurks the danger of an exclusionary attitude to people who are not exactly like us, says James Dunn. The best nationalist is an internationalist, who knows that… more »
See-through scanners need scrutiny
Article posted on Thursday 21 January 2010
Some airports overseas are rushing into service full body-revealing scanners. Australia trialled them in 2008 in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide: after a full report, the government had no plans to introduce them...until pressure in early 2010 from the US… more »
Singapore needs to lead on rights
Article posted on Thursday 14 January 2010
Can human rights eventually permeate South-East Asia? The Asian Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is a brave start, but it needs Singapore to abandon its entrenched opposition and to take a lead on regional rights for people, Murdoch… more »
Radical stop-and-search powers
ruled invalid by EU court
Article posted on Wednesday 13 January 2010
In a surprise decision, the EU Court of Human Rights has overturned a House of Lords judgement and told Britain that its police stop-and-search powers are invalid. The government must now reframe the laws to abide by human rights.Controversial stop-a… more »
State abuses power by assets freeze
Article posted on Wednesday 13 January 2010
CLA is campaigning against the draconian provisions of draft legislation on 'Serious and Organised Crime', which is now (Feb 2010) being considered by federal parliament. Here is proof, from WA, of how the state can abuse similar legislation, and inflict… more »
Could Google decide to cut off Oz?
Article posted on Wednesday 13 January 2010
What if the world's new superpowers - search engines and social websites - decided Australia was no longer worthy of service, and cut us off from the planet? Google is dangling that threat over China. Will Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's interne… more »
Time to learn tolerance
Article posted on Sunday 27 December 2009
Editor, The Age: Sir, At Christmas, it is understandable that in Australia, due to our history since settlement, great emphasis is given to the Christian religion throughout the land. However, considering the composition of today`s Australians with… more »
Uighurs are truly 'special' refugees
Article posted on Friday 20 November 2009
The Uighurs from Guantanamo Bay, innocent of anything other than fleeing persecution, should be viewed with compassion by the Rudd government, Chris Michaelsen writes. A large Uighur population in Australia can help them, whereas their confinement on the… more »
Australia's terror threat response
is put under academic spotlight
Article posted on Wednesday 04 November 2009
For possibly the first time in the decade of uncertainty following the 9/11 aircraft attacks on America in late 2001, the terrorist threat to Australia and the nation's response is being analysed cross-discipline by an international scholar. Christop… more »
CLA welcomes human rights report,
calls on MPs for bipartisan action
Article posted on Friday 23 October 2009
CLA congratulates the National Human Rights Consultation Committee for an excellent report and recommendations after an exhausting process. Now it is time for the politicians to respond in a bipartisan way to what the people clearly want - a clear and un… more »
Laws no match for waves of refugees
Article posted on Monday 19 October 2009
Laws can't stop refugees, any more than Canute could stop the tides. Motivated by persecution, hunger or the wish for a better life, people will always seek a distant shore. Australia should, argues Graham Macafee, re-think our approach to refugees to pr… more »
Is the human rights report all wrong?
Article posted on Thursday 15 October 2009
Mixed responses have greeted release of the National Human Rights Consultation Committee report, but the government is already watering down expectations of a Human Rights Act, saying that "enhanced education" and "improved parliamentary scrutiny" would… more »
Re-Joyce: Merry Christmas?
Article posted on Tuesday 06 October 2009
Editor, Canberra Times: Sir, in 'Asylum-seekers blamed for Island's problems', 3/10/09, Senator Barnarby Joyce, who visited Christmas Island, declared the asylum-seekers "seem very happy here". It would be funny, if it weren't so tragic.These people… more »
Human rights in Australia:
where consultation is up to
Article posted on Sunday 04 October 2009
Confused about what's happening with human rights consultation in your state/territory, or nationally in Australia? Here's a rundown on the current 'live' consultation processes, plus reference to a website with historical background.Human rights in… more »
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