Articles - Civil Liberties Australia

CLArion Nov 2023: CLA outlines Rights/Remedy imperative

1 November 2023 21 December 2023

CLA explained in detail in October to the parliamentary inquiry into rights precisely why Australia needed to create a national Human Rights Act, to achieve a ‘Fair Go’ for everybody and to help rebuild social capital and expand the national integrity network after years of significant stress. In examples of failed moral codes, the nation is paying Indonesian boat kids for our falsely classifying them as adults, just as Australia begins a new round of renditioning – kidnapping – asylum seeks to Nauru.

Australia poised to do the right thing?

12 October 2023 12 October 2023

Is the ‘notorious nation’ set to finally do the right thing, and protect its citizens with a Human Rights Act? Journalist Paul Gregoire examines the current situation and 2024-25 prospects for a ‘bill of rights’ that includes accessible, consistent and clear remedies for any breaches by bureaucrats.

CLArion Oct 2023: Rights-Remedy law about to pass

1 October 2023 21 December 2023

The first No Rights Without Remedy clauses in a Human Rights Act in Australia will soon become law. Anyone ACT resident who has a complaint about their rights being breached will be able to take a case for conciliation to the ACT Human Rights Commission. The breakthrough is establishing a model for a future national HR Act. Meanwhile (Walter) Sofronoff inquiries continue to dominate legal headlines: accusations of a missed core issue blight the Queensland forensics inquiry, while the former DPP suing over Sofronoff findings in the ACT will see a judge imported from Victoria to wrestle with some curly legal niceties…or un-niceties.

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.