Media commentators, satirists, artists and activists should be safe from controversial sedition laws, even if their ideas are unpopular and confronting, as long as they don't urge the use of violence, under changes to federal law proposed by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC).

Media commentators, satirists, artists and activists should be safe from controversial sedition laws—even if their ideas are unpopular and confronting—as long as they don’t urge the use of violence, under changes to federal law proposed by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC).

Do Australians feel that their privacy is adequately protected? Is it possible for privacy laws to keep up with technology such as data matching, facial recognition and even body odour measurement? Do younger people care as much about privacy as their elders? hese are some of the questions being asked in this ALRC issues paper...

Australia’s system for sentencing federal offenders should be significantly overhauled to provide greater consistency, fairness and clarity, according to this report, which includes a detailed analysis of over 25,000 fraud and drug cases handled by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions between 2000 and 2004. The report shows a significant disparity in both the type...

In this background paper to its current inquiry, the commission describes the history of sedition, outlines the current state of the federal law on sedition and unlawful associations, and outlines the position in the states and territories. It surveys the relevant international laws and considers their influence on Australian law, and sets out the key...