Keen to be part of a Liberty university hub?
Philippa Briglia and Lizzy Fitzgerald
YOUNG people consistently prove that they care deeply about issues of social and political importance and are prepared to commit themselves wholeheartedly to making the world a better place. Liberty Victoria is looking to harness this energy and passion by making it easier for Victoria’s students to get involved in the organisation’s ongoing efforts to defend civil liberties and promote human rights.
The need for a national spent convictions scheme
Aggy Kapitaniak
WHAT happens if an official does get it wrong? You have two injustices: the wrong and then the black mark against your name to remind you that you were wronged. A criminal conviction can have dire consequences on a person’s life. The law allows the court a discretion in relation to a disposition with or without a conviction.
Our right to know? Privacy and free speech
Georgia King-Siem
THE ‘Australia’s Rights to Know’ conference in Sydney on 24 March was essentially a conference by the media, for the media. Its focus was freedom of information (FOI) reform and protection of whistleblowers. Most of the conference participants were either journalists or lawyers who work in media law.
2009: the year ahead for Liberty Victoria
Michael Pearce SC
LIBERTY Victoria, like many civil liberties and human rights organisations, has endured a decade or more of non-stop action: we have spent much of the last 10 years reeling from sustained and escalating attacks on rights and liberties. However, the change in the Federal Government in 2007 has changed this.
Have we learned anything from the Haneef case?
Georgia King-Siem
AS MOST readers would be aware, Dr Mohamed Haneef was arrested, detained, charged and prosecuted by the Australian government in connection with terrorist bombings in the UK. At the time, the Australian government was strongly criticised for its handling of the matter.
The rights way forward for Australia
Spencer Zifcak
LATE last year, the Rudd Government made good on its promise to establish a national consultation on human rights. The purpose of the consultation is to make recommendations to the Federal Government and Parliament about how Australians’ human rights might best be protected.
Time to remove another unjust policy
Anne O'Rourke
HISTORY was made in Victoria on 22 October 2008 when, after a long and often acrimonious debate, the Abortion Law Reform Bill became law with convincing votes in both houses of parliament. The Abortion Law Reform Act 2008 (Vic) decriminalises abortion up to 24 weeks. Put simply, this means that there are no laws governing abortion up to 24 weeks.
Australia under review at the United Nations
Rachel Ball
IT'S a busy time for Australia in the international human rights arena. In the coming months our performance under the two main human rights treaties will be reviewed by UN treaty bodies. The Rudd Government has also recently prepared reports on the implementation of treaties dealing with race discrimination and discrimination against women.
Secrecy review: opening up government
Georgia King-Siem
IN AUGUST 2008, the Attorney-General announced that the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) would undertake a review of Australia’s secrecy laws. In particular, the ALRC will look at the scope and appropriateness of the current laws, their consistency and application to other relevant laws such as privacy, freedom of information (FOI), archives, whistle-blowing and data-matching.
