On 16 October 2022, a motion was put to the floor of the Labor Conference by the Australian Services Union which called for the Labor party to ‘scrap the NSW government’s anti-protest laws if they win government next year.

It is troubling that the NSW Police Minister, Paul Toole has not ruled out expanding the use of facial recognition technology currently deployed by NSW Police to include the practice of predictive policing. In a recent NSW Parliament budget estimates hearing Minister Toole said “The NSW Police Force continually reviews new technology to assist police in their role, and will consider expanding the use of technology, as required”.

There are serious fears the privacy of everyday Australians could be in jeopardy under a data-sharing deal with the United States.

An intelligence treaty between the two nations will soon allow law enforcement agencies to share information. The agreement will give officers rapid access to US-hosted data to fight terrorism, child exploitation and human trafficking.

But NSW Council for Civil Liberties President, Josh Pallas said the agreement would gravely undermine privacy.

Today, two women from the flood and fire-impacted NSW mid-north coast launched a Constitutional challenge to new anti-protest laws to preserve the democratic freedoms of speech and assembly in NSW.  Represented by the Environmental Defenders Office, the Constitutional challenge has been filed in the NSW Supreme Court.

Dominique and Helen, the two wildlife carers and members of the "Knitting Nannas" group at the centre of this case will ask the Supreme Court to declare new sections of the Crimes Act 1900 unconstitutional as they impermissibly burden the implied freedom of political communication of the NSW community. Both Dominique and Helen have been at the frontline of Australian climate impacts, experiencing the devastation, trauma and loss from drought, fires and floods in the last four years alone. 

For more information, read the full article.

Pressure continues to build on the NSW Labor Parliamentary team in the lead up to NSW Labor Conforence this weekend. Some of the greatest gains in history have been delivered through large-scale protest movements which would not be lawful under the current NSW Government anti-protest laws; the decriminalisation of homosexuality, women’s right to vote and many others. This, no doubt, is weighing heavily on the minds of many community minded Labor MPs who have actively participated in protest actions over recents years.

NSWCCL President, Josh Pallas, spoke to journalist Paul Gregoire in the lead up to the NSW Labor State Conference about the campaign to overturn the draconian anti-protest laws currently in place in New South Wales.

The NSW Council for Civil Liberties (NSWCCL) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) in regard to the Sixth Periodic Report of Australia.

Under Article 19 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (the Convention) the CAT is mandated to examine reports on the measures that State parties are taking to implement the provisions of the Convention. The CAT has a dual mandate:

1. To undertake confidential inquiries when reliable information is received with well-
   founded indication that torture is being systemically practiced in a State party is received
   (Article 20, the Convention).
2. To consider individual complaints in relation to the implementation of the Convention
   (Article 22, the Convention).

Lowy Institue welcomes you to join them for a special address by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

President Zelenskyy will address the Lowy Institute from Ukraine via live video link. Afterwards, he will speak in conversation with Executive Director Michael Fulliloveand take audience questions.

The address is available to watch online via Youtube on Thursday 6 October at 7:00pm AEDT.

Link: Online video via YouTube

The UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT) will be visiting Australia for 12 days from 16 Oct 2022 – 27 Oct 2022.

Last month, NSWCCL, Josh Pallas spoke to regional radio in Coffs Harbour and Dubbo about the Perrottet Government's response to the 2020 ice inquiry.