by Chris Merritt | May 10, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Freedom of Speech, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
Nine years ago, Colin Rubenstein identified weaknesses in the federal laws against inciting violence based on racial and religious hatred. Had his warning been heeded, it might have equipped federal authorities with some of what they need to crack down on the worst...
by Chris Merritt | May 2, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Freedom of Speech, Media Article
The legend of King Canute has a lesson for lawmakers that must have escaped the attention of the geniuses who insisted on giving global reach to the Online Safety Act. Canute knew it was ludicrous to command the tides but he dragged his throne down to the beach and...
by Chris Merritt | Apr 25, 2024 | 18C, Chris Merritt, Freedom of Speech, Media Article
The fight between Anthony Albanese and Elon Musk is not merely about whether Australians should be permitted to see a shocking video of a bishop being stabbed. The outcome of this dispute will help determine a much bigger issue: do we want the federal government to be...
by Sally Layson | Mar 15, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Media Article
One of the hallmarks of a free society is the right to protest – to assemble in public and express a point of view.In democracies such as ours, that right extends to everyone – even those with a tenuous grip on reality.But there is an important caveat: this freedom,...
by Chris Merritt | Feb 23, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Freedom of Speech, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
There is only one thing worse than having no law to address criminal conduct, and that is having a law that is not enforced.This has the perverse effect of encouraging the very conduct that should have been suppressed, while destroying public confidence in one of the...
by Chris Merritt | Oct 13, 2023 | Chris Merritt, Freedom of Speech, Media Article
Those who wanted to hold a second anti-Israel rally in the streets of Sydney must be terribly disappointed. They have been denied permission to lawfully assemble and exercise their right to free speech. But for all true supporters of human rights, this is cause for...
