Right to Information Bill (QLD) 2009
“Commercial information is overprotected from disclosure under contemporary FOI legislation. This overprotection is evident quite apart from democratic arguments that the “public right to know” may override established commercial interest. Viewed solely in economic terms, the existing levels of protection for business information appear hard to justify. FOI legislation should be redrawn so that business information is only protected where its release will cause demonstrable harm to the competitive process itsel
Read More
QCCL MEDIA RELEASE: CALL FOR LAWPREVENTING PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF ACCUSED SEXUAL OFFENDERS
QCCL MEDIA RELEASE: CALL FOR LAWPREVENTING PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF ACCUSED SEXUAL OFFENDERS
In the wake of Dennis Ferguson’s acquittal, the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties has again called for a law change preventing persons charged with a sexual offence, especially a child sexual offence, from being publicly identified especially by the media until after they are convicted.
Read More
HUMAN RIGHTS IN QUEENSLAND: MEDIA RELEASE "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" 11 FEBRUARY 2009 - FORUM TODAY
Eminent community leaders, human rights activists and Members of the Legislative Assembly will meet this Wednesday evening at Queensland Parliament House to discuss whether Queensland’s legislative treatment of the rights of its citizens is falling behind comparable neighbour states and nations.
Read More
Submission to QLD Freedom of Information Independent Review Panel
The information was created by public servants paid for by the people, answerable to a Parliament elected by the people. The information was created for us, by our employees. It’s our information. We own it. Of course we should know about it.
Read More
Families & Friends for Drug Law Reform - Parliamentary Drug Report ‘A Road Map To Disaster’
"The House of Representative’s Family & Community Affairs Committee Report released this morning is a disgrace”, said Brian McConnell, President of Families & Friends for Drug Law Reform.
Read More
Council Welcomes Due Process in Senior Sergeant Hurley Case
The President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties today welcomed the fact that due process had been followed in the case of Sergeant Hurley.
Read More
Workplace Privacy
Perhaps at its core privacy protects and ensures equality in the sense that we are entitled to equal concern and respect as individuals, and not that we are entitled to do as we please. Such an approach would shift away from viewing privacy as a prerequisite for preventing invasions of various liberty interests to one of maintaining conditions that will make the exercise of those liberty interests possible. So conceptualised, equality would be at the hub and the various liberty interests protected by privacy simply spokes on the privacy wheel.”
Read More
Random Roadside Drug Testing Legislation Opposed
Mr. Cope says, “The problem the government has is that so far science has been unable to establish a clear relationship between the amount of a drug in your system and your ability to drive. It is quite a different situation with alcohol where there is a clear correlation between the level of alcohol in your bloodstream and your capacity to drive. The government then is forced to introduce this draconian legislation.”
Read More
MINISTER SPENCE CONTINUES HER ATTACK ON PRISONERS AND THE RULE OF LAW
The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties has accused the Corrective Services Minister, Ms Judy Spence, of undermining the rule of law in her treatment of prisoners.
Read More
Review of the Power to Proscribe Organisations as Terrorist Organisations
It is actions that should be the subject of criminal sanctions not indications of support or involvement in political organisations. All of the conduct which is alleged against the organisations to be proscribed which is said to justify that proscription could be the subject of an ordinary criminal charge.
Read More
Review of Privacy - Issues Paper
The exemption assumes that small businesses are unlikely to hold significant private information or that they are unlikely to disseminate it widely. But the discussion in the paper, particularly that related to small internet businesses, to the collectors of tenancy information such as real estate agents and similar in itself puts a lie to the notion that small businesses do not collect significant personal information. In some cases important genetic information may even be exempt from the application of the Privacy Act. Our view would be that small businesses should be the subject of the legislation but with the power given to the Privacy Commissioner to make public interest modifications.
Read More
Inquiry into the Crimes Legislation Amendment (National Investigative Powers and Witness Protection) Bill 2006
The QCCL strongly opposes the authorisation of illegal conduct by police. The purpose of the police is to suppress criminal activity, not to encourage or create it. There is in our view no justification for any police instigation of any serious criminal conduct.
Read More
DPP Release of Doomadgee File Welcomed
The Australian Council for Civil Liberties today welcomed the decision of the Queensland DPP (Leanne Clare SC) to release the Mulrunji Doomadgee file to the Queensland Attorney General so that an independent opinion can be obtained.
Read More
QCCL MEDIA RELEASE: WORKCHOICES DECISION HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
Work Choices Decision Highlights Need for Human Rights Act: Mr. Cope President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties says “The decision of the High Court in Workchoices case brings home the vast increase in commonwealth powers which have occurred particularly in the last 30 years. In doing so it also adds to the case for the Commonwealth Government to introduce a Human Rights and Responsibilities Act “.
Read More
SNIFFER DOG RAIDS
The NSW Ombudsman in a report released in September this year after a 2 year inquiry found no evidence that the use of sniffer dogs disrupted street dealing in any sustained fashion. The evidence also showed that the use of police sniffer dogs didn’t reduce drug related crime. Nor did their use lead to any increase in perceptions of public safety.
Read More
Police Called Upon to Drop Charges Against Nudist
The Council takes the view that nude beaches should be permitted so long as they are in secluded areas and are known and clearly marked as nude beaches. If necessary, the State Government or relevant local councils should take steps to designate nude beaches and to mark and publicise them appropriatel
Read More
Principles and Guidelines for Newborn Screening
We would be of the view that it would not be appropriate to make the de-identification reversible. This is because it opens up the opportunity for the de-identification process to be reversed for inappropriate purposes.
Read More
Sex Workers, Teachers and the Anti-Discrimination Act
“There is no rational reason at all to presume that a sex worker is incapable of being a good teacher.” says Mr Cope President of the QCCL
Read More
Freedom of Speech and Sedition Laws
“In a democracy people are entitled to try to persuade others to even the most extreme views so long as they do it non violently.”
Read More
Protection Against Intimate Covert Filming Supported
The Queensland Council for Civil Liberties today welcomes the decision of the Queensland Government to introduce legislation outlawing the covert filming of people in private places engaged in intimate acts.
Read More
