Former Australian PM says government reversing human rights advances News
Former Australian PM says government reversing human rights advances

[JURIST] Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser [official profile] has accused the Australian government of pursuing laws that would reverse "centuries of advances" in human rights and the protection of individual liberties against state power. Fraser, who has previously spoken out against tough new anti-terror proposals [JURIST report] now going through the Australian parliament, delivered his broadside attack in a speech [DOC text] in Melbourne Tuesday and took up its theme again in an interview Wednesday, saying that he has considered resigning from the Liberal Party [party website], of which current Prime Minister John Howard [official profile] is also a member. Fraser urged Liberal senators to cross the floor and vote against the anti-terrorism bill [text], currently before the Senate after passing in the lower house [JURIST report] Monday. He told ABC Radio:

I…want to emphasise in the strongest terms that we're not just seeing another policy which is not a good policy. We're seeing a reversal of, if you like, centuries of advances in terms of human rights, the protection of the liberty of the individual against the overweening power of the stat. Now we're seeing that reversed and we're seeing that reversed in a country that prides itself on its democracy. We're seeing it reversed in secret.

People can be made to disappear. This happens to be in Australia.

AAP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.