Police state fears over terrorism laws

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Police state fears over terrorism laws

October 16, 2005 - 4:03PM

 

 

 

Australia is moving towards a police state with harsh anti-terrorism

laws that could be pushed through Parliament too quickly, the Law

Council says.

 

Copies of the sweeping new laws, made available to the public by the

ACT Government, have sparked concerns among legal experts.

 

The Government last week said it would introduce the laws to

Parliament on October 31, but only allow the Senate one week to

investigate them and report by November 8.

 

The Law Council of Australia said passing the proposed laws would push

the nation closer to becoming a police state.

 

" We're moving down that path, " council president John North told the

Ten Network.

 

" The fact that the Government wanted to move these laws through

Parliament with indecent haste and without letting us as a Law Council

or other interested people have wide community consultation means that

we're very concerned about them. "

 

Under the bill, people who support insurgents can be jailed for up to

seven years.

 

Australian Federal Police will also be able to carry out what are

termed preventative detention orders, effectively locking up people

thought to be involved or to have knowledge of a terrorist act.

 

Suspected terrorists who are detained by police will be able to ring

loved ones but not tell them where they are, while judges can stop

suspects from using the internet or telephones.

 

Mr North said he understood that people were frightened about

terrorism, but civil liberties had to be protected.

 

" We understand that the people are scared, we understand that

terrorism is the major, major issue, but we must not take away

fundamental rights without asking our Government to assure us that we

are going to be safe, " he said.

 

The Law Council president said he was particularly concerned about

shoot-to-kill provisions in the draft legislation, and the plan to

allow children as young as 16 to be detained without charge for up to

14 days.

 

Mr North said he was worried about the reaction of the Government in

the wake of the London bombings in July.

 

" Internationally it is really only lawyers who are trying to hold

their governments to account at this stage, " he said.

 

" We think the people will understand as soon as they start to see

these laws misused and abused by our police and intelligence authorities. "

 

AAP