Media stakeholders acknowledge the importance of Australiaʹs national security laws, but argue that press freedom is also essential to democracy. This inquiry report examines the current environment for press freedom in Australia.

This report highlights that as COVID-19 spread across the world during the year, governments across the democratic spectrum repeatedly resorted to excessive surveillance, discriminatory restrictions on freedoms like movement and assembly, and arbitrary or violent enforcement of such restrictions by police and non-state actors.

On 4 July 2019, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security commenced an inquiry into the impact of the exercise of law enforcement and intelligence powers on the freedom of the press. The inquiry was referred by the Attorney-General, The Hon Christian Porter MP, who noted that the federal government will consider proposals from...

This report recommends that governments, including signatories to the Global Pledge on Media Freedom, adopt targeted sanctions regimes to ensure that journalists, media professionals and others engaged in journalistic activities, can carry out their work without harassment, intimidation, false imprisonment or violent attack.

This document includes a detailed analysis of human rights developments in 25 countries and territories from the Asia-Pacific region.