Chief Justice Wayne Martin gives an excellent backgrounder in this speech as to why and how a new mental health court in WA next year will fulfil a major need, as he demonstrates with statistics drawn from other jurisdictions around Australia.
Read th…
Throughout most of the world, governments acknowledge that the ‘war on drugs’ has failed. Progressive governments are debating what will replace it. In Australia, some federal and state MPs are leading the way. Campaigners are planning a national drug s…
A contributor commenting on the ‘Patents’ article (see below), has questioned whether new law protects researchers from being sued by Big Pharma over patents. No, says CLA Director Tim Vines, the new law has so far only created more uncertainty. But, of…
How much of your intrinsic genetic information do you own? Certainly not all, as maybe 20% is locked away in the vaults of big pharmaceutical companies whose business aim is to make the most money possible from their holdings. CLA Director and National…
A government electronic health records system costing hundreds of millions of dollars, in preparation for a decade, is in a shambles this week as the newly-‘launched’ e-portal won’t even take the basic registrations online for which it was set up. As we…
The NT Government was formed in 1978 on a culture of unlimited grog, some of coming from Cabinet ice-chests. But why can’t we change the politics of grog in the territory? Why can’t better restrictions be put in place?
We could increase taxes on grog,…
The drug “war” is yet another example of hyperbolic rhetoric where political and law enforcement public relations spin has replaced practical analysis and fiscal common sense. When ‘the powers-that-be’ realise that the basis for tackling drugs should be…
Noel McLaughlin (Letters 3 April 2012 Canberra Times) misrepresents (columnist) Jack Waterford’s position on the AFP. Jack was not criticising the personal bravery of individuals. Rather, what I understood him to be saying is that the AFP have been enco…
The proposed WA Mental Health Act aims to deliver “best possible treatment and care”, but the Bill does not reflect these noble words, says CLA lead author Rhys Jones. Rather than enhancing people’s rights, the draft Bill actually increases the the abil…
CLA has received many requests over the past few months for information about people’s civil liberties and rights in relation to surveys by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ABS is becoming more like Big Brother in its approach, it seems, in two…