Human Rights Law Centre urges Australia government to reject permit requirement for protests
Australia’s Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) urged the Victorian Government on Monday to reject proposals requiring protestors to get a police permit to protest, following the country’s recent shift to anti-protest measures . Chaos erupted in Melbourne on Saturday as 24 hours of protest from different groups, with violent interactions at times between protestors, left three [...]
Malaysia pardons board halves ex-PM Najib Razak's corruption sentence
News agency CNA revealed Wednesday that the top pardons board in Malaysia halved former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s 12-year sentence for corruption, embezzlement and money laundering through Malaysia’s state-owned 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The board has also reduced the imposed fine to 50 million ringgit ($10.6 million) from 210 million ringgit. Provided Razak pays this, [...]
Tasmania government introduces bill to ban conversion therapy
The government of the Australian state of Tasmania is seeking to ban conversion therapy practices in a recently released draft legislation. The Bill, known as the Justice Miscellaneous (Conversion Practices) Bill 2024, follows the Tasmanian government’s promise last year to render conversion practices illegal after a report from the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute highlighted the [...]
Unpacking the Fallout From the Failure of Australia's First Nations 'Voice' Referendum
This comment was written on Ngiyampaa Wangaibon Country. I pay my respects to the custodians that have cared for this Country for time immemorial. I acknowledge when First Nations Peoples thrive, all of Australia benefits. A recent Australian referendum that aimed to strengthen the presence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples within the country’s [...]
The High Court of Australia ruled against the Victorian Government’s electric vehicle tax under section 7(1) of the Zero and Low Emission Vehicle Distance-based Charge Act 2021 (“the ZLEV Charge Act”) Wednesday, which required registered operators of zero or low emission vehicles to “pay a charge for use of the ZLEV on specified roads.” The [...]
The town of Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory has faced unprecedented levels of crime in recent years. Alcohol-related crimes have increased by 55 percent in the town since 2020, and as a result, alcohol restrictions have now been introduced in Alice Springs. Concerns have arisen, however, due to the stereotyping of the large indigenous [...]
The Government of Western Australia (WA) Wednesday announced plans to introduce legislation banning the “display and possession” of Nazi symbols like the Hakenkrauz, also known as the Nazi swastika, in the state. WA joined Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania in its move. A statement from WA authorities acknowledged the continued existence of anti-semitism in [...]
Tasmania MPs vote in favor of voluntary assisted dying legislation
A majority of members of the lower house of Tasmania’s parliament voted Saturday in favor of voluntary assisted dying legislation, the End-of-Life Choices Bill 2020. The legislation provides eligible persons access to voluntary assisted dying, “an efficient and effective process to enable them to exercise the chose to reduce their suffering by ending their lives [...]
UN rights experts urge Western Australia Parliament not to adopt anti-protest bill
A group of UN human rights experts on Monday urged Western Australia's Parliament to reject anti-protest legislation being debated Tuesday. Parliament members indicated that the goal of the bill was to prevent people from locking themselves onto objects...
UN rights expert welcomes move to repeal Australia laws restricting public assembly
UN Special Rapporteur Maina Kiai on Wednesday welcomed a bill introduced in the lower house of the Victorian Parliament designed to repeal stringent laws regulating protests. The laws, introduced last year...
