Friday, January 12, 2007

Anti-terror laws: human rights under threat

AI updates the state of play in Australia:

"The Australian Government has responded to the threat of terrorism by introducing laws that undermine the human rights of Australians. The new laws create offences relating to terrorist activity but do not adequately define many of the activities they are supposed to prohibit.

They compromise long-standing protections in the Australian legal system, including the right to silence, the right to a public hearing and the right to choose a lawyer. We recommend an independent review of Australia’s anti-terror laws by the end of 2008 to bring them into line with international human rights standards. Alternatively, the laws should be repealed.

* Write to your Member of Parliament calling for an independent review of Australia's anti-terror laws"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

1st: you haven't got rights.

2nd: until you learn the difference between democracy and parliamentary rule, you can't get them.

doesn't matter till you stick your head out. then you learn the difference between rights and a parliamentary leash. consult hicks and habib if still unclear.

3rd: no amount of waffle makes any difference until you are willing to stand up for real democracy: citizen initiated referendum and direct election.