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Even good minds can get criminal justice wrong, but usually for only so long. Several years ago, a veteran magistrate was speaking over lunch with a bunch of us criminal-law practitioners. Inevitably, the judicial colleagues came in for some free and frank character analysis, but the most telling comment was about a relatively recent arrival Continue reading »
With Australian defence writers now arguing for society to be reimagined as an ‘input to defence capability’, we are witnessing further incursions in the Democracy – Defence Nexus. A recent article appearing on the website of Defence Connect claims a discovery: the identification of Australian society as a “fundamental input to defence capability.” In a Continue reading »
In times of atrocity, art and reporting are crucial to evidence, to remember and assert moral witness. To paraphrase Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who will speak for those who are silenced? As artists across the West find themselves criticised, threatened and silenced for showing support for Palestine, an upcoming Sydney exhibition, Forms of Censorship (11 Continue reading »
The courageous stance of students across the country in defiance of genocide is accompanied by a near total blackout of their voices. Their words are the ones we most need to hear. NEW YORK CITY: I am sitting on a fire escape across the street from Columbia University with three organisers of the Columbia University Continue reading »
Israel has begun a ground assault on Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the brutal war on Gaza. International observers say the attack on Rafah, now the most densely populated place on Earth, will mean mass killings of civilians, writes Seraj Assi in the Jacobin. “Rafah is now a city of children, Continue reading »
The blood is on your hands Biden. We can see it all, and fuck no, I’m not voting for you in the fall. It’s too late, we’ve seen the truth, we bear witness. Seen the rubble, the buildings, the mothers and the children. And all the men that you murdered. Age-restricted video (based on Community Continue reading »
Washington’s attempts to attack and impair the workings of the ICC on Israel’s behalf merely serve to further isolate a declining America. It would be an understatement to describe the relationship between the United States and the International Criminal Court as anything other than dysfunctional. Of the 124 countries that have signed the Rome Charter Continue reading »
Patriotism, they say, is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Judged that way, there seem to be a large number of scoundrels around within the Australia media and also the Canberra political elite. This morning, there were reports of the nasty Chinese dropping a flare near a good old patriotic Australian helicopter said to be in Continue reading »
Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr sues New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters for defamation over AUKUS comments. The defamation action comes as a chagrined Peters took what looked like a step back from AUKUS in recent speeches. The undiplomatic discord between Australia’s former Foreign Minister Bob Carr and New Zealand’s current Foreign Minister Winston Continue reading »
The ABC now faces an awful dilemma. If, as now seems certain, it loses the media bargaining code revenue it has been receiving from Facebook, now Meta, it will have to sack many of the 60 journalists and support staff it has recruited since entering into commercial contracts in 2021. The ABC is legally obligated Continue reading »