In a recent ruling, the NSW Supreme Court sided with the NSW Police in blocking a planned climate protest on Newcastle Harbour, citing concerns for public safety. The protest was organised by the climate campaign group Rising Tide. The court's order, delivered by Justice Desmond Fagan, does not outlaw the protest itself but restricts the use of the waterway for the demonstration.

Rising Tide has responded to this ruling, stating that people still have the right to protest on the beach and in the harbour. 

“The case was never about whether or not the People’s Blockade can go ahead. People do not need police permission to gather and protest on public land in NSW.”

“The People’s Blockade WILL continue!” the climate campaign group said. “It is NOT ILLEGAL to paddle on the waters of Muloobinba/Newcastle Harbour or to protest on a beach or park.

In August 2024, former President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and former NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicholas Cowdery AO KC FAAL appeared at the NSW inquiry into the impact of the regulatory framework for cannabis on behalf of NSWCCL. 

A copy of our submissions can be found here. 

A copy of our press release with comments by Nicholas Cowdery AO KC FAAL can be found here. 

NSWCCL submitted that cannabis in New South Wales should be decriminalised, but regulated.  There is consistent evidence that decriminalisation doesn’t encourage drug use or increase drug taking in the community. In fact, decriminalisation may have the opposite effect, as more people are able to access advice, support and treatment for any problematic health issue resulting from drug use.

Today, the Inquiry released a copy of their interim report, which can be found here. 

Recently, the NSW Police attempted to halt the ongoing peaceful protests for Palestine, which have taken place every Sunday in the CBD for over a year, by filing an application with the NSW Supreme Court. After the rejection of this application, Premier Chris Minns appeared on 2GB Radio with Ben Fordham, where he expressed his view that the NSW Police should have the authority to deny protest applications, citing the strain on police resources.

Last week, NSW Greens MLC Sue Higginson led a coalition of civil society voices and organisations in criticising Minns for his attempts to suppress protests and called for the repeal of the anti-protest laws, first introduced in 2022.

The Greens, along with representatives from a large variety of Human Rights and Political groups including the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, the Maritime Union of Australia, Rising Tide, Extinction Rebellion, Palestine Action Group, First Mardi Gras Inc, Students for Palestine at Sydney Uni, and the North East Forest Alliance, held a press conference to condemn the recent crackdown on the right to protest.

They called on the Premier to reverse the anti-democratic laws that infringe on this fundamental right.

A review into the handling of recurring pro-Palestine protests in NSW has been ordered by Premier Chris Minns, as he has stated concern over the cost of policing the weekly marches, which have taken place every Sunday in Sydney for over a year.

Minns argued that the large police presence required for these protests has become an unsustainable drain on resources, diverting attention away from serious crime.

The proposed crackdown, which would allow police to deny march requests due to stretched resources, has sparked criticism, with opponents calling it undemocratic and dangerous. The premier’s suggestion comes amid ongoing rallies in multiple states, where similar concerns about resource allocation have arisen.

NSW premier, Chris Minns, recently said that policing pro-Palestine protests has cost the state $5m this year and the force should be able to shut them down because of the “huge drain on the public purse”. From this Minns has ordered a review of police resources used at the pro-Palestine protests taking place in the CBD each weekend for the past year. 

Critics have responded to his statement, saying that the premier was continuing to “disregard human rights and civil liberties”.

Protest organisers in NSW would be less likely to face legal battles for permission to hold protest if the state adopted a human rights charter, according to a legal expert.

On Thursday, Sydney’s pro-Palestine rally organisers were in the supreme court, contesting a police attempt to block their Sunday protest and another event planned for Monday. The police eventually approved Sunday’s protest after a last-minute route change. The organisers of the Monday event chose to cancel their application for Monday’s protest, choosing instead to hold a vigil, which doesn't require approval.

This standoff reignited calls for the NSW government to replace the current approval process with a human rights act.

Premier Chris Minns previously supported police, arguing that neither event should proceed due to concerns over potential violence.

Today was an important moment in the history of the right to protest in New South Wales.

For nearly a year, peaceful protests and vigils have occurred across our country calling for the immediate end of violence in Palestine which has seen Hospitals and Schools bombed, the taking of hostages, the mass displacement of civilian populations, forced starvation and the deaths of over 40 000 innocent civilians – the vast majority of whom have been children.

The protests in Sydney have been largely organised by Jews Against the Occupation and Palestinian Action Group. This afternoon, after a day in court, the groups announced that a rally on 6 October and a standing vigil on 7 October will proceed.

The Early Drug Diversion Initiative (EDDI), introduced by the Minns government earlier this year, has largely been seen as a failure. Despite years of public advocacy for drug decriminalisation, the scheme has only managed to divert a small percentage of individuals caught with minor drug offences.

Under the initiative, NSW police officers were given the discretion to issue a $400 on-the-spot fine to those caught with small amounts of prohibited drugs, or to offer them an alternative — a one-hour phone counselling session with the Alcohol and Drug Information Service.

Concerns around privacy are increasingly important for parents as they navigate the challenges of raising children in a digital world. While ensuring their children's safety remains a top priority, both online and offline, the rise of technology has introduced new dilemmas, particularly regarding the use of tools that track a child's movements.

Though technology and social media have made parenting more difficult in many ways, they have also offered solutions, such as GPS trackers, which allow parents to monitor their children's whereabouts. This has sparked ongoing debate about privacy and whether such monitoring is an overreach into a child's personal autonomy.