Christopher Michaelsen criticises the lack of accountability and scrutiny in the Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005. He argues that the 28 new anti-terrorism laws introduced since September 2001 have generally lacked effective judicial and parliamentary review mechanisms and that the new bill has the same shortcomings. He recommends the establishment of an independent monitoring body.

James Jupp reviews the Draft Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005. He notes that the draft legislation breaches a number of long-standing legal protections and raises concerns about how it may be implemented.

John von Doussa, president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, considers the human rights implications of the recent amendments to the National Security Information Act 2004. He finds that the Act potentially compromises Australia's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Frank Morgan responds to a recent speech by Senator Helen Coonan, Federal Minister for Communications, on proposals to change Australia's media ownership laws. He discusses how new technology has changed the way we receive and digest news and information.

Simon Rice examines the very different levels of protection against hate speech that exist in different Australian jurisdictions. He highlights Australia's unfulfilled international obligation to legislate against religious vilification and the interesting stance adopted by the NSW government on the subject.