CLA’s policy on criminal justice
All Australians are entitled to protection from arbitrary arrest and unnecessary detention; to a fair, speedy and public trial; to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and to legal advice and representation.
Sentencing should be based on the principle of rehabilitation wherever possible.
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,…
A major report into aged care is ringing loud alarm bells in a sector of health care often not usually closely watched or supervised. CLA is preparing a campaign to help protect the rights of older people, and the mentally ill. Meanwhile, police car cha…
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…
A former SAS soldier, the newest member of the WA Parliament, delivered a telling commentary on the erosion of civil liberties in Australia when he gave his maiden speech in March. “…a speech capable of making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up;
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy’s internet filter will be bad for Australia because it imposes censorship. But there could also be technical, commercial and cultural reasons – not yet examined – why the proposed filter might limit opportunities an…
SA Premier Michael Rann, up for re-election in March 2010, is proposing that a defendant’s personal history should be revealed to juries – before they decide guilt or innocence – so as to send more people to prison. CLA and the SACCL, plus most other kno…