Debate over burqaThe burqa debate involves complex questions of individual and group rights, Dr Chris Michaelsen told the Australian Federation of Muslim Councils conference in Sydney in May 2010, speaking on behalf of CLA. But in Australia, there’s no national »…
Streets littered with liberties lost“I’ll never be affected by abuse of civil liberties: it won’t happen to me”. But, as Susan Carty explains, you can be accused and convicted on an Australian street – even when innocent – if someone whose identity is kept secret reports youfor littering,…
The Rudd government pans to set up a secret list of people suspected only of arson, and to possibly restrain, detain or put suspects under active surveillance for three months every year. The proposals , which represent a new low for civil liberties in A…
CLA President Dr Kristine Klugman and CEO Bill Rowlings are holding meetings in Launceston and Hobart in April 2010 as part of trying to reinvigorate civil liberties in Tasmania. President to visit three cities President Kristine Klugman is holding…
Kirby on privacy…30 years laterDo the world’s privacy principles need updating? The first privacy guidelines were developed under Australian Michael Kirby in Paris in 1980. Here, on the 30th anniversary, he reflects on the challenges ahead. Privacy advocates and organisations like…
You might not like what I say but you have no right to muzzle me, says author Philip Pullman, whose provocatively-titled book caused a pointed question at an author appearance. This brief (1m 25s) Q & A puts censorship and free speech in a nutshell.…
Coroner says police should cut chasesState Coroner Michael Barnes has told Queensland police they should not get involved in car chases with drunk drivers. His findings, after a detailed examination of 10 major chase death incidents over three years, provides a new benchmark for Australia,…
Privacy’s blood spilled on new Wattle?New, web-based systems for information filing and control are great…but are they coming at the price of shaving off layers of privacy, CLA’s Tim Vines asks. Should the ANU’s new Wattle system allow others to question your private reasons for missing an…
Aborigines bear the brunt ofAborigines continue to be massively over-represented in the nation’s jails. But in WA, the situation is beyond dire: Aborigines are closing in on being half the total number of people jailed in the state, when they comprise only about 3% of the state’s…
Because Australia does not have a national Bill of Rights, federal legislation can transgress against peoples freedoms and liberties with impunity. But the ACT (and Victoria) have passed Human Rights Acts, so legislation in the ACT “mirroring” federal l…