CCL is concerned by what would appear to be a ‘crackdown’ against free speech and basic principles of democratic governance.

The proposed legislation is draconian and disproportionate and might be said to infringe at least two of the four core principles of criminal law –

• that the criminal law should only be used to censure people who have committed substantial wrongdoing, and
• that laws be enforced with respect for proportionality.

This bill appears to be designed to discourage lawful demonstrations and protest contrary to the implied constitutional right to peaceful protest and its constitutionality is for that reason questionable.

NSW Council for Civil Liberties (CCL) joins with a number of other civil society organisations including unions, environment groups and civil liberties advocates in making the additional submission (set out in Annexure A).