terrorism

• Review of the Counter-Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (Cth)

  10th Oct 2023

• Excessive amendments to national security laws avoid scrutiny due to COVID-19

  13th May 2020

  Changes to national security laws governing ASIO's powers to question terrorism suspects, introduced into Parliament today, excessively increase ASIO’s powers and are not necessary, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Broad clause in ‘foreign fighters’ bill could impact journalists and whistleblowers, say lawyers

  25th Jul 2019

  Journalists and whistleblowers could be adversely affected by the Counter Terrorism (Temporary Exclusion Orders) Bill 2019 that is now before the Senate, according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Draconian counter-terror laws must be repealed

  30th Oct 2017

  Draconian counter-terrorism powers such as warrantless searches and preventative detention orders do little to enhance security and serve only to further marginalise people, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Australia’s human rights record comes under UN scrutiny

  17th Oct 2017

  Australia’s approach to implementing and protecting human rights will be scrutinised by a United Nations (UN) committee this week, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• The use of secret evidence in criminal and civil proceedings

  5th Oct 2017

  Court procedures aim to ensure fairness between parties. In criminal matters, the intention is to ensure that the party with the most to lose, the defendant, is assured a fair trial, to avoid punishing innocent people for crimes they have not committed. This requires setting out the case against an accused clearly enough that they can refute it. In civil matters, these procedures seek to ensure fairness between the parties, including ensuring that both sides have access to relevant evidence. 

• Terror law arms race will not increase safety

  13th Jun 2017

  Introducing ever-more draconian anti-terror legislation will not make Australians safer and may actually increase the risk of another terror incident, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Ministers’ criticism of judiciary in terrorism cases undermines sepa

  13th Jun 2017

  Commonwealth Ministers’ criticism of Victorian terrorism rulings is extremely concerning, as it attacks the fundamental separation of powers underpinning the Australian system of justice, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Tougher parole conditions for terror prisoners reduces chances of reha

  9th Jun 2017

  Making it harder for a person convicted of terror offences to get parole will merely increase the risk that they will reoffend when eventually released, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Maximum security detention for terror suspects just adds fuel to the f

  8th Jun 2017

  Politicians calling to restrict parole for people convicted of terror offences would do better to examine the link between harsh conditions in detention and increasing the likelihood of radicalisation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Lawyers condemn plans to formalise arbitrary detention in Australia

  4th Nov 2016

  The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has today published a report recommending that Australia adopt the most draconian counter-terrorism laws in the world, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Nice attacks: Accuracy is important to understand this crime

  28th Jul 2016

  WHAT HAPPENED in Nice on Bastille Day last week was awful in the true sense of that word.  But do the actions of Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel who drove a truck through crowds celebrating the national day, killing 84 and injuring many more, constitute a terrorist attack, as the media and political class widely assumes? The sad reality is that no one knows yet why this tragedy happened. We may never know — he was shot dead to stop him from causing more mayhem. Islamic State have claimed responsibility, but there is no evidence that the attacker had any connections with the terrorist organisation.

• MEDIA ALERT: Lawyers oppose proposed changes to terror laws

  25th Jul 2016

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) opposes the Turnbull Governments proposed preventative detention for terrorism offenders.

• High Court terrorism ruling points to need for Constitutional reform

  15th Jun 2016

  The High Court today ruled that a defendant charged with Commonwealth terrorism offences cannot opt for a trial by judge alone in the New South Wales Supreme Court. 

• Anti-terror laws threaten separation of powers

  13th Oct 2014

  Key clauses in the Commonwealth’s proposed new Foreign Fighters anti-terror legislation could be unconstitutional as they undermine the separation of powers, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Foreign Fighters Bill will lead to innocent people being detained

  25th Sep 2014

  The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill lowers the threshold for the arrest of individuals on alleged terrorism offences and will lead to innocent people being arrested and detained, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Terror threat to Australia’s legal system

  24th Sep 2014

  Australia is already losing the ‘war on terror’ if it starts abandoning principles as fundamentally important as the rule of law and the presumption of innocence, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.

• Govt’s anti-terror law promises will not stop abuse of power

  24th Sep 2014

  Promises by the Federal Government not to abuse proposed anti-terror legislation are not enough to protect the rights of Australians, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• MH17 victim compensation likely to be inadequate

  25th Jul 2014

  Compensation from Malaysia Airlines which may be available to families of the victims of Flight MH17 is likely to be inadequate, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Journalists will face jail over spy leaks under new security laws

  17th Jul 2014

  Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Greg Barns has been quoted in today’s Guardian about the proposed strengthening of national security laws against whistleblowers, saying the “troubling” legislation could be used to prosecute and jail journalists who reported on information they received about special intelligence operations.

• National security legislation may receive no independent review

  8th May 2014

  The government has proposed the repeal of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor. In our submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, we oppose the repeal, citing the need for an independent body to review legislation, especially in the absence of an Australian Bill of Rights.