Explainer: how do Australia’s proposed citizenship laws compare internationally?
Whether or not a prospective citizen would face a longer wait in Australia compared to Germany, Canada or the UK comes down to their individual circumstances.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
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Explainer: with no free vote for now, where next for marriage equality?
The government seems determined to give voters a voice on marriage equality, and equally determined not to be bound by what those voters say.
Curious Kids: Why is the sky blue and where does it start?
Some people think the sky is blue because of sunlight reflected off the ocean and back into the sky. But that's not the real reason.
Explainer: how Australia’s military justice system works
Unlike most domestic criminal law, the laws governing the behaviour of Australian armed forces apply to criminal conduct alleged to have taken place overseas.
Explainer: is a High Court challenge about to bring down the Turnbull government?
Given the Turnbull government only has a one-seat majority in the lower house, the immediate stakes of the challenge to David Gillespie's eligibility are as high as they could possibly be.
Explainer: why three government ministers might face contempt of court charges
It is obviously important to protect the institutional integrity and independence of the judiciary – but the judiciary and judicial decisions should not be immune from criticism.
Explainer: what Islam actually says about domestic violence
Islam’s position on domestic violence is drawn from the Qur’an, prophetic practice, and historical and contemporary legal verdicts.
Explainer: what’s the difference between TPIMs and control orders?
An outline of the ways laws to restrict the activities of terrorist suspects have evolved.
Explainer: how much landfill does Australia have?
Australia sends 20 million tonnes of garbage to landfill every year. With thousands of sites across the nation, it's hard to track exactly how many there are, where they are, and what's filling them.
Explainer: what is chemotherapy and how does it work?
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to treat cancer. It is often paired with surgery, radiotherapy and immunotherapy in a cancer treatment plan.
What is classified information, and who gets to decide?
A professor who once held top secret clearance explains how levels of classification work and where handling sensitive information gets tricky.
Explainer: how will the changes to HELP student loans affect you?
Students will now have to pay back more of their loan, and repay quicker.
Curious Kids: where does money come from?
Millie, aged 5, wants to know where money comes from. We asked an economist to explain.
Australian politics explainer: the Labor Party split
Viewed from today’s post-Cold War and secularised society, the conflicts at heart of the Labor split appear curiously arcane. Yet its ghosts remain.
Explainer: why some acts are classified as terrorism but others aren’t
Terrorism laws contain extra hurdles to secure a conviction, so prosecutors and police may prefer to charge offenders with murder or assault in some cases.
Explainer: why the High Court ruled Bob Day’s election to the Senate invalid
The key takeaway from the Bob Day case is that courts interpret the eligibility requirements for election strictly.
Explainer: why the government ‘pulled’ Australia’s extradition treaty with China
The usual procedures for extradition between countries with substantial and complex bilateral relations – like those that Australia and China have – will now not be available.
Explainer: what is delirium and is it dangerous?
Delirium is a neurological (nervous system) condition where a person becomes suddenly confused. Around one in five elderly people in hospital suffer from delirium.
Explainer: what are executive orders? And what force do they have in US politics?
Although congressional Democrats have been vocal in opposing most of Donald Trump’s executive orders, they appear to have little support from Republicans to enact the legislation needed change them.
Explainer: what are the limits to charities advancing political causes?
Charities in Australia can be political. They can advocate and lobby to further their charitable purposes. But they can't be party-political.
Top contributors
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Adam Webster is a Friend of The Conversation.Departmental Lecturer in Law and Public Policy, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford
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Professor of Dermatology, University of Melbourne
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Professor in Infectious Diseases Epidemiology, Monash University
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Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Professor of Molecular Biology, UNSW
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Michael J. I. Brown is a Friend of The Conversation.
Associate professor, Monash University
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Post Doctoral Research Associate, Centre for the Subatomic Structure of Matter, University of Adelaide
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John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Health Science, Curtin University
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Post-doctoral Fellow in Immunology & Genetics / Research Academic for Centre of Excellence in Severe Asthma, University of Newcastle
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Martin Boland is a Friend of The Conversation.
Senior Lecturer of Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Charles Darwin University
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Lecturer in Law, Murdoch University
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Senior Lecturer in Networking, The Open University
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Honorary Fellow of the University of Melbourne and Senior Curator (Astronomy), Museum Victoria
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Lecturer, Graduate School of Business and Law, RMIT University
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Laureate Professor of Mathematics, University of Newcastle
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Sexual health researcher, University of Melbourne
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