by Chris Merritt | Apr 9, 2026 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
This country needs to come to terms with the fact that there is a real risk that Ben Roberts-Smith will not be given a fair trial. This would be the worst possible outcome – far worse than having a decorated former soldier convicted on five charges of war crime...
by Chris Merritt | Mar 27, 2026 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
One of the great fictions about Australia democracy is that the Constitution can only be changed if a referendum wins support from a majority of the people in a majority of the states. There is another way – one that relies on the fact that the Constitution means what...
by Chris Merritt | Mar 20, 2026 | Anti-Semitism, Chris Merritt, Commentary, Freedom of Speech, Human Rights, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
This week marks the passing of Sir Anthony Mason, one of the nation’s most influential Chief Justices. His admirers will have plenty to say about the fashionable parts of his legacy. Those who praise his role in the Mabo decision and the invention of implied...
by Chris Merritt | Mar 13, 2026 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
There were two attempts in Melbourne last week to reform suppression orders. One deserves to be taken seriously. The other, commissioned by the Melbourne Press Club and produced by journalism academics from Monash University, is flawed. The serious reform push that...
by Chris Merritt | Jan 2, 2026 | Anti-Semitism, Chris Merritt, Commentary, Education, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
Naveed Akram, 24, who is alleged to be the surviving Bondi Beach gunman, first came to the attention of ASIO six years ago when he was about 18. After what happened at Bondi on December 14, some might be tempted to view ASIO as somehow culpable – a view that is...
by Chris Merritt | Dec 12, 2025 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
Before more state governments adopt the mantra of “adult time for adult crime” they need to take a breath and consult two documents that might help ensure their youth justice policies are based not on ideology, but on evidence and principle. The first of those...
