Protecting human rights has for centuries been the reason for government’s applying the rule of law, soon-to-retire NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery, says. But government commitment to the fundamental principle is under threat from…
The Gillard Government’s proposal to hold a referendum with a view to recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution will produce nothing substantive or useful, scholar and author Dr Bede Harris says. The move gives ‘the appearance of doing the…
Irrelevant issues, such as euthanasia, should not derail the federal parliament debate over giving people from the ACT and NT equal rights to those enjoyed by Australians living in States, Prof George Williams says. The imbalance of voting power also ne…
CLA’s CEO Bill Rowlings has generated a storm of letters in the NT News after he criticised the fact that police in the Territory are given blanket immunity from prosecution under the NT Mental Health Act. The debate follows the death inside Royal Darwin…
Indigenous lawyers and law students gathered at an important national conference recently, with some help from CLA. The range and depth of issues facing the Indigenous community was remarkable, as was the quality of the speakers, CLA President Dr Kristin…
The internet shines light on the world, but its dark side can unscrupulously ‘mine’ and sift every mouse click: which pages you visited, what you bought, who you talked with and what you said. Collated over time, this dark data is valuable to marketers a…
Mr Ward’s death in a prison van has spurred a review of the Justice of the Peace system in Western Australia. But proposed reforms do not go far enough: the entire system needs overhauling, says Rex Widerstrom as he calls for more submissions to the offi…
It’s not enough for Prime Minister Gillard to be silent on China’s treatment of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. On behalf of Australia, she should call publicly for Liu’s immediate release and for China to respect the rights and civil liberties of i…
Dear Sir: Police & Tasers: why not for once back our police force? If idiots wish to charge police with knives they should be stopped with Taser or gun. Hope you never need the police to help you. RegardsŠSydney.Dear Sir: I have just observed you…
Behind claims of internet piracy, huge corporations are involved in big money battles, using laws, courts and international treaties to wage a fight to enforce their copyright. Here software engineer Arved von Brasch gives us the rundown on what it’s all…