Freedom of speech

• Police independence at risk from political pressure to restrict right to protest

  3rd Oct 2024

  The intense political and media pressure being applied to police in New South Wales and Victoria to restrict or stop Palestinian protest and vigil activity this weekend is not acceptable in a democracy, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

• Proposed anti-protest laws are an unnecessary attack on the right to protest

  22nd Jun 2022

  Anti-protest laws currently being reviewed by the Legislative Council in Tasmania are an unnecessary attack on the right to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Lawyers welcome rejection of anti-protest laws

  25th Mar 2021

  Today’s Tasmanian Legislative Council decision to oppose the Workplaces (Protection from Protesters) Amendment Act 2019 has been welcomed by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Workplace safety laws being used inappropriately to restrict right to protest

  21st Feb 2020

  The unprecedented use of workplace safety laws to try to curtail the right to protest is very concerning said the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA), following the news that the Bob Brown Foundation has been threatened with fines by WorkSafe.

• Proposed anti-protest laws are authoritarian and are an attack on democracy, says ALA

  15th Nov 2019

  Anti-protest laws tabled in Tasmanian parliament yesterday are deeply authoritarian and are an attack on democracy, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• A free press and freedom of speech are fragile rights

  13th Jun 2019

  Greg Barns reflects on last week's police raids of the homes and workplaces of journalists and what this could mean for freedom of speech and freedom of the media.