Australian Terror Laws and Academic Freedom

Tham, Joo-Cheong

Abstract

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Australian Terror Laws and Academic Freedom

Joo-Cheong Tham

University of Melbourne

May 1, 2009

FREE SPEECH IN FEARFUL TIMES: AFTER 9/11 IN CANADA, THE U.S., AUSTRALIA & EUROPE, Turk J. & Mason A., eds., pp. 234-244, Canada: James Lorimer & Company Limited
U of Melbourne Legal Studies Research Paper No. 391

Abstract:
In Australia, the domestic ‘War on Terror’ has been waged through a multitude of laws with at least 26 separate pieces of anti-terrorism laws passed since the September 11 attacks. More disturbing than the pace of legislative enactment is the character of the laws passed. These laws mean that Australian security and police agencies now have the power to detain without trial. Broad discretion has also been conferred upon the government to ban so-called ‘terrorist organisations’.

These laws also cloak the operations of police and security organisations with greater secrecy, criminalise speech and heighten the risk of political and religious persecution. It is these features of the ‘War on Terror’ that particularly threaten academic freedom in Australia.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 13

Keywords: War on Terror, anti-terrorism, security organisations, academic freedom

JEL Classification: K10, K19, K30, K39

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Date posted: May 1, 2009

Suggested Citation

Tham, Joo-Cheong, Australian Terror Laws and Academic Freedom (May 1, 2009). FREE SPEECH IN FEARFUL TIMES: AFTER 9/11 IN CANADA, THE U.S., AUSTRALIA & EUROPE, Turk J. & Mason A., eds., pp. 234-244, Canada: James Lorimer & Company Limited ; U of Melbourne Legal Studies Research Paper No. 391. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1397443

Contact Information

Joo-Cheong Tham (Contact Author)

University of Melbourne ( email )

Melbourne, Victoria
Australia