Category: Human Rights
Rights review may spotlight Australia
Article posted on Thursday 04 March 2010
The relatively new Human Rights Council has created new power blocs in international affairs. Australia will come under the spotlight in the four-yearly Universal Periodic Review, in early 2011, of how well we're doing as a nation in terms of ensuring th… more »
Bikie laws
on hold:
WA active
Article posted on Tuesday 02 March 2010
With an appeal pending in the High Court from the SA Government because of the over-turning of part of its 'bikie' legislation, similar laws are largely on hold Australia-wide. In WA, motorcycle groups are getting active ahead of a likely mid-year in… more »
Terrorism: ugly word, trivial threat
Article posted on Friday 26 February 2010
The Howard and Rudd governments' response to the threat of terrorism in Australia has been extraordinarily excessive, under any proper risk analysis. It seems all governments like to ramp up fear, to keep the community docile. Here Chris Michaelsen highl… more »
UN man slams NT intervention
Article posted on Thursday 25 February 2010
It's official! The UN says that the Rudd Government is acting in a racially discriminating manner and breaching international human rights obligations with its NT intervention. So says James Anaya, the Special Rapporteur, in his Advance report.NT inter… more »
Making sure 'invisible' are seen
Article posted on Friday 19 February 2010
As you enter the realm of the 'aged', you grow invisible, they say: younger people's eyes look through, over, around, beyond you. The rights of the aged is one of the focal issues for CLA in 2010: here Valerie Lipman proposes a UN Human Rights convention… more »
WA Premier's re-think welcomed
Article posted on Tuesday 16 February 2010
There's an upsurge of community concern in Perth about how police are using their new stop-and-search powers (which are largely mirrored throughout Australia). WA Premier Colin Barnett has promised to review the powers, so CLA issued a supportive stateme… more »
Oz needs DNA protection laws
Article posted on Tuesday 16 February 2010
CLA has long argued the need for national legislation so Australians can find out what their DNA tells them without suffering penalties under insurance and superannuation rules. Cheaper DNA testing, sometimes sponsored by insurance companies, is bringin… more »
Why the scanners are wrong
Article posted on Friday 12 February 2010
Throughout Australia, people are making personal decisions about full-body airport scanners. If you are against them (or for them), you can have your say by writing to the man responsible for the decision. Here Kathy Lund's point of view. To Mr Alban… more »
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 »