The royal commission’s report should be viewed as only the start of the necessary transformation of Victoria’s family violence system.
AAP/David Crosling
The royal commission’s recommendations seek a complete transformation of Victorian family violence services, and the state’s prevention of and response to family violence.
The NSW Electoral Commission’s withholding of public funding to the NSW Liberal Party may yet again imperil Arthur Sinodinos.
AAP/Dan Himbrechts
By requiring that a person acting in self-defence must act genuinely and reasonably, Australian states and territories appropriately balance self-defence against vigilantism.
Malcolm Turnbull has taken a series of steps to clear the path to a double-dissolution election.
AAP/Lukas Coch
If passed, a new migration bill could mean that a person at risk of torture from the Syrian government would have to prove that they could not have gone to a part of Syria controlled by Islamic State.
The majority of people at risk of forced marriage are under 18 and female.
Shutterstock
The Australian Law Reform Commission has given George Brandis a report that does all that it reasonably could, while falling well short of what it was asked to do.
A plebiscite on legalising same-sex marriage is bad policy that ought to be revisited.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
In an era of ever-increasing counter-terrorism powers, what is Andrew Nikolic’s appointment to a powerful parliamentary committee likely to mean for its scrutiny of national security legislation?
Anglican Dean of Brisbane Peter Catt is one of several Australian church leaders to promise sanctuary to asylum seekers.
AAP/Dan Peled
As a country that claims to uphold the human rights of all – including those before the law – Australia should take notice of international practice when it comes to life imprisonment.
Consorting laws have been introduced under the pretext of combating organised crime – including that committed by bikie gangs.
AAP/Joe Castro
Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have introduced restrictive “consorting” laws. But are the laws justified? Are they an efficient and effective way to combat organised crime?
George Brandis says the government will adopt the proposed changes to anti-terror laws that criminalise disclosure.
AAP/Lukas Coch
Until a public interest exemption is included in Section 35P, the offence will continue to impact press freedom and have a chilling effect on media organisations’ ability to report on ASIO’s activities.
Coalition senator Eric Abetz claims he and other Liberal MPs do not have to respect the result of a coming plebiscite on same-sex marriage.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
It is easy to envisage a number of arguments that MPs might use in an attempt to justify ignoring the result of a same-sex marriage plebiscite and voting contrary to its result.
There has been a rapid expansion of the tasks now carried out on a daily basis around Australia by private security personnel.
AAP/Julian Smith
The legal status of private security staff is, for the most part, decidedly uncertain.
The Law Council of Australia has called for the end of mandatory sentencing, so is it time to put a stop to this ineffective and disproportionate system?
Dean Lewis/AAP
As the Law Council of Australia calls for the end of mandatory sentencing, it might be time for the Australian government to evaluate and resolve the troubles of this problematic system.
State leaders endorsed a plan at COAG last week that would see some terrorists jailed indefinitely.
AAP/David Moir
Detaining persons convicted of terrorist offences for lengthy periods after they have served their time could risk radicalising a section of the community who see the measure as unjust.
The community must be careful of what it demands of the court system.
AAP/Lee Besford
Gerard Baden-Clay’s successful appeal against a conviction for the murder of his wife should not be misread as a sign of judicial tolerance of domestic violence.
The government’s citizenship-stripping bill passed on the final parliamentary sitting day of 2015.
AAP/Dan Peled
If we are content to sanction, disapprove and respond to sole nationals committing terror-related offences without revoking their citizenship, why is revocation necessary for dual nationals?