Justice Access - Civil Liberties Australia

New law provides remedy to fix rights breaches

20 September 2023 20 September 2023

An amended Human Rights Act for the Australian Capital Territory, tabled in September 2023, contains nation-leading clauses to ensure ’No Rights Without Remedy’ can become a model for a possible federal Human Rights Act in future. Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Australia’s first HR Act, the nation’s first Human Rights Minister, Tara Cheyne, has introduced changes in the ACT so that citizens from 2024 can seek formal conciliation if there is an alleged breach of their rights by the bureaucracy, which has a positive duty whenever possible to act consistently with human rights. She also praised CLA and Chris Stamford for our work in helping to make positive change happen,

Security czars grab more power over spooks

20 September 2023 20 September 2023

The security czars are playing fast and loose with the spook agencies – and, of course, the Australian people – in a power play occurring around the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security. The end result could be more and deeper secrets kept, less public transparency, writes Paul Gregoire.

Oz needs dedicated wrongful convictions body

1 September 2023 1 September 2023

Each month produces new stories of judicial errors, forensics misunderstandings, and failures-to-disclose by police and DPPs which amount to a log of systemic errors leading to wrongful convictions. Throughout Australia, there’s a growing call for a Criminal Cases Review Commission. Academics Hamer and Dyer explain the issues.

Upper House MP calls for independent inquiry into SNF case

25 August 2023 14 September 2023

Momentum continues to build for a full-on Commission of Inquiry into the wrongful conviction of Sue Neill-Fraser (photo) for murdering her husband, Bob Chappell, on a yacht in Hobart, on Australia Day 2009. Tassie Upper House MP Mike Gaffney in August 2023 again called for Attorney-General Elise Archer to appoint an interstate judge to head an inquiry. SNF has served 13 years in jail, and is on parole wearing an e-bracelet for the next nine, unless justice is achieved. Here’s the Gaffney address to Parliament

Canadian court orders lawyers to own up to AI

3 July 2023 29 June 2023

Artificial intelligence looms everywhere. A Canadian court has told its lawyers they must disclose when they have used AI in submissions. How many years away do you think it is that AI will actually decide innocent or guilty, and the penalty involved?

All wrongs should be righted: O’Gorman

7 June 2023 7 June 2023

Throughout Australia, liberties and rights campaigners are using the Kathleen Folbigg pardon to highlight the need for a criminal cases review commission. Here, eminent civil libertarian and lawyer Terry O’Gorman explains why a CCRC is needed, and how one for Australia as a whole would work.