A Victorian Parliament committee has recommended changes to the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities which would weaken in considerably. But in a late and surprising move, Premier Ted Bailleau has moved management of issue into his department, where it may be cultivated, and out of Attorney-General's, where it is likely to wither from a drought of enthusiasm. Author of CLA's submission to the committee, Rhys Michie, reports on developments.

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The ACT Government can learn from five years of disastrous practical experience in the UK of a security vetting system brought in to check up on community volunteers working with children. The UK system, on which the proposed ACT regime is based, is now being thoroughly overhauled by the British Government because they realised it was draconian, intimidating, bureaucratic and excessive...and inconvenienced nine million more volunteers than it should have.

Read CLA's submission »...

The communications authority, ACMA, is seeking CLA comment on whether its draft revised Privacy Guidelines for Broadcasters are appropriate. To have your say, read the ACMA letter and the Draft Guidelines, and send comments and thoughts to the Secretary CLA. CLA's policy is to provide our comments as 'principles' which should form the basis of ACMA's end product. Deadline for comments to CLA is 30 September.

It's fine for the community to give general guidance to judges as to what is "reasonable" in sentencing, CLA says: public discussion on such issues would be useful, and may help judges locally and nationally, CLA told the main ACT political parties. But law makers should not boost maximum potential sentences to try to force judges to send people to jail for longer...and mandatory sentencing should not even be contemplated, we told MPs.

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After four years of lobbying, CLA's proposal for the government to report details about people we extradite to face trial overseas has been adopted by the Attorney-General's Department. The AG's annual report will in future carry reports of extradition requests granted by Australia and other relevant follow-up information.
Read the Minister's letter to CLA »...

Australia's foreign affairs chiefs fail in their responsibility to promote our human rights beliefs, values and interests properly, and so deliver a badly lop-sided public service. This is particularly so in the Pacific, and in Asia, CLA says in critiquing Kevin Rudd's department's annual report for a parliamentary committee.

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Are our spook agencies performing well, a review asks? Given their excessive secrecy, how can we know, CLA responds, and points out the danger to society if the massive staff and budget increases of the past decade are leading to 'make-work' spying on innocent Australians.
Read submission »...

Imminent new extradition and mutual assistance laws should incorporate the strong recommendations made by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, at CLA's instigation, for Australia to monitor and report to Parliament annually on the subsequent fate of people we extradite. Currently, like Pontius Pilate, we wash our hands of these people. So far the government has ignored JSCOT.

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Illinois has become the 16th US State to abolish the death penalty. The considered reasons, explained by Governor Pat Quinn who agonised for two months before signing the bill into law, are worth a closer look.

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The fight for democratic voting rights is not confined to the Middle East: Australians living in the Territories want them too. Imagine if laws passed by the Australian Parliament could be overturned by the UN Secretary-General, or by a UN vote...ordinary Aussies would be up in arms!

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