Abandoning all previous pretexts to the contrary, federal Justice Minister Clare has admitted he does exactly what he’s told by the police. That includes giving police the power to ban people from working and earning their living based only on "intelligence" – without any semblance of a charge, appearance before a court, or conviction. This deterioration into a police-run state shows how much federal governments have trashed the rule of law in Australia over the past decade…and counting.
In an allied and equally alarming development, Attorney-General Roxon has announced yet further expansion of national security laws: spooks to get more powers (and immunity from prosecution for abuse of them), ISPs to become unpaid arms of the police, and your personal privacy continuing to disappear at a rapid rate as all your phone, texts and emails become subject to greater surveillance.
Other items in this issue include:
- One colonel joins the bench, another violates access rules;
- New Directors appointed to CLA Board;
- Scrutiny of Bills Committee moves to prevent ‘rubber stamping’;
- Backbencher goes into bat for all our genes;
- Privacy law set for change, but legal aid looks like being cut;
- Do judges need special protection from the law?
- CLA to make submission on texting: send us your thoughts;
- Spy drones likely over Australian suburbs soon;
- USA admits it kills on suspicion, afar, by remote control;
- 2000 inmates exonerated in 23 years;
- Mandatory Census? Compulsion may be reviewed; and
- Long arm of the law reaches inside mobile phones.