News – Page 4

Andrew Bolt found guilty of breaching Racial Discrimination Act

By Rebecca Devitt

28 September 2011 Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt has been found guilty of breaching section 18 (c) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 in the Federal Court of Australia. The case had been brought before the Federal Court by nine indigenous Australian’s including academic Professor Larissa Behrendt, activist Pat Eatock, author Anita Heiss and former […]

School Chaplains Challenge Heard at the High Court

By Joshua Crowther

9 September 2011 The constitutional challenge to the Government’s funding of the National School Chaplaincy Program in Williams v Commonwealth and Ors continues as lawyers for the prosecution allege that the Government’s subsidising of chaplains undermines the secularism of Australia’s Constitution. The challenge to the program was launched by Ron Williams, a Queensland parent who […]

High Court validates Victorian Human Rights Charter

By Rebecca Devitt

9 September 2011 Yesterday, the High Court of Australia handed down an historic decision in the case of Momcilovic v The Queen (2011) reaffirming the importance of the Victorian Human Rights Charter and held that it “protects fundamental human rights and maintains parliamentary sovereignty.” In the case, Vera Momcilovic appealed against her conviction for drug […]

Landmark case on the rights of non-citizens

By Rebecca Devitt

6 September 2011 The United Nations Human Right Committee, in a significant decision, has ruled that Australia has violated international law and the human rights of a non-citizen.  In the case Nystrom vs Australia, brought by the Human Rights Law Centre and Brian Walters SC, the Australian government had deported Stefan Nystrom in 2006 following […]

High Court Case on Deportation

By Joshua Crowther

5 September 2011 In Moti v The Queen [2011] the High Court is currently examining whether the Australian Government was complicit in aiding the deportation of former Solomon Islands Attorney-General Julian Moti.  Mr Moti, who holds Australian citizenship, was deported by the Solomon Islands Government in December, 2007 to face charges for alleged sexual assault.  […]

Report Highlights Indigenous Disadvantage

By Rebecca Devitt

25 August 2011 Increases in Indigenous people in the criminal justice system, child abuse and chronic disease highlight the widening of the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, according to a new report released by the Productivity Commission. The latest report entitled Overcoming Indigenous Disadvantage: Key Indicators 2011 shows improvement in only 13 of the 46 […]