You’d think, from all the posturing by Law & Order (LO) politicians through Australia, that crime was up, but it is down. But what’s really up is the prison population, by 36% (or 7759) from 21,358 to 29,317 over the past 10 years. At nearly $100,000…
A new research paper from the Australian Institute of Criminology highlights how crime in Australia and in western nations is down over the past decade, and declining.
The paper indicates how wrong and self-servingly tendentious are the caterwauling…
Deciding what goes into our bodies is a basic human right: why then do politicians interfere selectively in our freedom to choose? Regulation and education could take supply of drugs away from criminals, and let adults make their own, educated decisions…
The stock police/security answer to proliferation of CCTVs is: “If you haven’t done anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about”. But Vancouver Sun columnist Pete McMartin points out that governments now use ‘incalculable risks’ as a measure for bee…
The Rudd Government is about to pass laws which are ‘…diluting basic criminal justice principles’ and ‘jeopardis(ing) the most fundamental individual rights’, according to the Opposition, which still plans to vote for the unconscionable legislation. It…
In the USA, the Administration appears determined to continue charging alleged terrorists with non-existent crimes, even though President Bush has given way to President Obama. Moving Guantanamo prisoner trials to Manhattan Island, NY, won’t turn charge…
Police in WA want metal detectors to line the streets of Perth. They also want the power to stop, scan and body search at will, without reasonable suspicion of an offence. Will it be a case of Perth WA this year, then Adelaide SA, Sydney NSW, etc next ye…
In South Australia, with an election close, both Labor and Liberal politicians play the ‘law and order’ card constantly in the media. But in doing so, the Chair of the SA Council for Civil Liberties warns, they are being both unfair and unwise, partic…
A correspondent has lashed out at people like us for supporting convicted pedophile Dennis Ferguson, out of jail after completing his sentence but being hounded from pillar to post. Here’s the reply, by CLA CEO Bill Rowlings, to the writer Lenny who…
Portugal decriminalised personal consumption of drugs almost a decade ago, showing a lead to other advanced nations. It is also about to introduce an innovative national alcohol program. Advisor to the national drugs board, Fatima Trigueros, reports in d…