A Sydney man has been arrested under Australia’s foreign interference laws for sharing what he claims was open-source information. It could be a test case for the new laws.
The prosecution was a scandal and should never have been commenced. It was a direct assault upon freedom of political communication, and it intimidated whistleblowers.
The Albanese government has acted quickly to abandon the prosecution of Bernard Collaery, who was charged in relation to the leaking of information about Australia’s alleged spying in Timor-Leste.
The story of Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s 804 days as a political prisoner is about more than Iran’s human rights abuses, writes Scott Burchill – the West is no model of international citizenship either.
The lawyer and his client, Witness K, are accused of disclosing information related to a covert ASIS spying operation. These are the legal issues that are likely to be raised at trial.
Bernard Collaery’s whistleblower trial will be a key test of the National Security Information Act and the restrictions it places on defendants and the courts.
Lukas Coch/AAP
The purpose of the NSIA is to protect national security information from being disclosed in courts. But this can undermine a defendant’s ability to argue his or her innocence.
Protesters outside the Australian embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste, in 2016, demanding a settlement of the border dispute between the nations.
Antonio Dasiparu/EPA
Since Timor-Leste’s independence, relations with Australia have been undermined by contentious negotiations over oil and gas fields. But a new maritime border may mean brighter days ahead.
Protest at the Australian embassy in Timor-Leste over the oil and gas revenue-sharing deal between the countries.
Antonio Dasiparu/EPA