Welcome to Civil Liberties Australia
CLArion Nov 2023: CLA outlines Rights/Remedy imperative
1 November 2023Continue reading ...
CLA explained in detail in October to the parliamentary inquiry into rights precisely why Australia needed to create a national Human Rights Act, to achieve a ‘Fair Go' for everybody and to help rebuild social capital and expand the national integrity network after years of significant stress. In examples of failed moral codes, the nation is paying Indonesian boat kids for our falsely classifying them as adults, just as Australia begins a new round of renditioning – kidnapping – asylum seeks to Nauru. In other developments:- High Court wimps out of another key forensic science ruling
- Smartest Australians get half a vote in referendums
- NT, which started it all, at last gets to vote on VAD
- Prison bugging inquiry gets new investigator, free of former AG links
- New inquiry to quick-probe mess left by Sofronoff forensics findings
- Corruption has commissioner stumped
- ‘Blood boils’ as cops allegedly dodge proper inquiries
- Neighbour country under control of new, secret force
- Courts logging: where are ‘friends’ when you need them?
- Pommy prisoners to be transported to Australia?
Australia poised to do the right thing?
12 October 2023Continue reading ...Is the ‘notorious nation' set to finally do the right thing, and protect its citizens with a Human Rights Act? Journalist Paul Gregoire examines the current situation and 2024-25 prospects for a ‘bill of rights’ that includes accessible, consistent and clear remedies for any breaches by bureaucrats.
CLArion Oct 2023: Rights-Remedy law about to pass
1 October 2023Continue reading ...The first No Rights Without Remedy clauses in a Human Rights Act in Australia will soon become law. Anyone ACT resident who has a complaint about their rights being breached will be able to take a case for conciliation to the ACT Human Rights Commission. The breakthrough is establishing a model for a future national HR Act. Meanwhile (Walter) Sofronoff inquiries continue to dominate legal headlines: accusations of a missed core issue blight the Queensland forensics inquiry, while the former DPP suing over Sofronoff findings in the ACT will see a judge imported from Victoria to wrestle with some curly legal niceties…or un-niceties. Other highlights this month include:- New Security Monitor will have big job living up to Donaldson
- Defence reveal more than 30 troops may be charged with war crimes
- Gambling leads to suicide: report
- Stand by for a ‘live’ test of drug taking in the community
- $300K ruling against ‘jail from the hip’ judge
- Gassed kids gain about $250,000 each in compensation
- Investigator being investigated over Top End killing
- Toothless TIC finds reason not to probe integrity issues
- Care residents drugged to cope with mental illness
- DATES: Crucial world forensics conference set for Sydney next month
New law provides remedy to fix rights breaches
20 September 2023Continue reading ...An amended Human Rights Act for the Australian Capital Territory, tabled in September 2023, contains nation-leading clauses to ensure ’No Rights Without Remedy’ can become a model for a possible federal Human Rights Act in future. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Australia’s first HR Act, the nation’s first Human Rights Minister, Tara Cheyne, has introduced changes in the ACT so that citizens from 2024 can seek formal conciliation if there is an alleged breach of their rights by the bureaucracy, which has a positive duty whenever possible to act consistently with human rights. She also praised CLA and Chris Stamford for our work in helping to make positive change happen,
Security czars grab more power over spooks
20 September 2023Continue reading ...The security czars are playing fast and loose with the spook agencies – and, of course, the Australian people – in a power play occurring around the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The end result could be more and deeper secrets kept, less public transparency, writes Paul Gregoire.
Oz needs dedicated wrongful convictions body
1 September 2023Continue reading ...Each month produces new stories of judicial errors, forensics misunderstandings, and failures-to-disclose by police and DPPs which amount to a log of systemic errors leading to wrongful convictions. Throughout Australia, there’s a growing call for a Criminal Cases Review Commission. Academics Hamer and Dyer explain the issues.CLArion Sept 2023: Rights & more equal voting on the way
1 September 2023Continue reading ...The governing Labor Party solidified its support for a federal Human Rights Act, and also committed to more equal voting rights for the ACT and the NT, in positive outcomes from its recent platform-setting conference. Crunch time for the Voice referendum approaches as judges start to speak out on a variety of issues just as Australia gets a new Chief Justice.Upper House MP calls for independent inquiry into SNF case
25 August 2023
Continue reading ...Momentum continues to build for a full-on Commission of Inquiry into the wrongful conviction of Sue Neill-Fraser (photo) for murdering her husband, Bob Chappell, on a yacht in Hobart, on Australia Day 2009. Tassie Upper House MP Mike Gaffney in August 2023 again called for Attorney-General Elise Archer to appoint an interstate judge to head an inquiry. SNF has served 13 years in jail, and is on parole wearing an e-bracelet for the next nine, unless justice is achieved. Here's the Gaffney address to Parliament