[JURIST] New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] condemned [HRW press release] Australia's proposed anti-terror legislation [government backgrounder] Thursday as a violation of international law and called the proposal "a shocking departure from Australia's proud tradition of protecting individuals from an overly powerful state". Last month, Australian Prime Minister John Howard [official website] won unanimous support [JURIST report] for the legislation which allows detention without charge, house arrest, and the electronic tagging of suspects. AFP has more.