by Chris Merritt | Jul 5, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Human Rights, Media Article
The latest push for a national charter of rights has provided a valuable lesson for charter supporters: they need to open their eyes to reality. Yes, the protection of human rights is an ever-changing challenge. But Australia’s performance on this measure is...
by Chris Merritt | Jun 6, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Human Rights, ICAC, Media Article
On September 25, 1991, when Gareth Evans was foreign minister, Bob Hawke’s Labor government made a series of promises on protecting human rights that the Albanese government seems determined to ignore. This says much more about the current government’s approach to...
by Chris Merritt | May 31, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Commentary, Human Rights, Media Article
Long before this country began its experiment with state-based charters of rights, Australia had a system in place for protecting our liberties that, in the view of some, needed to be improved.That goal is perfectly reasonable. Legal infrastructure can always be made...
by Chris Merritt | Apr 11, 2024 | Chris Merritt, Human Rights, Media Article, Rule of Law Issue
The revolt over proposed restrictions on religious schools is close to uniform among the nation’s peak religious leaders. But that does not mean the threat to religious freedom is close to defeat. A parliamentary committee has been working on a second plan that could...
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,...
