Latest news with #AustralianLawyersAlliance
The Age
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Australia news LIVE: Universities react to anti-semitism envoy report; PM says Australia must not be ‘subservient' to allies
Latest posts Latest posts 7.04am Antisemitism: Jewish groups welcome special envoy report while universities mull response The release of recommendations from the federal government-appointed antisemitism special envoy, Jillian Segal, has prompted a mixed reaction. While organisations such as the Zionist Federation of Australia have welcomed Segal's proposals to curb hate against Jewish people, some have warned the changes presented a threat to free speech and freedom of expression. The most contentious proposals included a call to strip funding from universities, charities and cultural institutions that fail to combat hatred against Jewish people, calls for editorial standards within the media and the screening of visa applicants for antisemitic views. Barrister Greg Barns, SC, spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, said the recommendations represented a threat to freedom of speech and the right to protest and could result in draconian penalties. He pointed out Australia has international human rights obligations to free speech and freedom of expression. 'The temptation will be for universities, cultural institutions and others, including NGOs, to suppress alternative views in relation to Israel,' Barns said. 'Overall there's a chilling aspect to the envoy's recommendations and that is to essentially adopt a Trumpian tool of cajoling and threatening in order to curtail fundamental human rights.' Loading Universities have stopped short of endorsing the plan but said they would consider its recommendations and awaited the federal government's response. Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy welcomed the plan's publication and said he was awaiting details of the government's response. 'This is a significant body of work, and we'll work closely with our members as we consider the recommendations …We look forward to further detail on the government's response,' Sheehy said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not say on Thursday whether his government would adopt all the report's recommendations, but he welcomed the report and said that some of its proposals were already under way or could be rolled out quickly. 6.42am Mushroom cook Erin Patterson's life behind bars Mushroom cook and convicted triple murderer Erin Patterson has struggled to adjust to life in prison. This piece, from Chris Vedelago, lifts the curtain on Patterson's new life in prison after being convicted of three counts of murder and one for attempted murderer. The introverted, bright mother of two has consistently struggled to accept exactly where she had ended up, according to sources familiar with her conditions. She doesn't curse or spit at the guards or bash anyone. But she has put inmates and guards off with her constant complaints, which are often taken as showing her complete lack of awareness of where she is. 'Her cell is too hot or too cold: 'What are you going to do about it?' she'd say. It was complaint after complaint after complaint,' says a guard who formerly worked in her unit. 'It's not a hotel; it's a prison. Yes, she wasn't convicted yet. But it's still a prison. It's not meant to be customised for your comfort.' 6.30am 'I lost my tears'; the Australian taking on a controversial role in East Jerusalem Like many buildings East Jerusalem's Silwan district, Najah al-Rajabi's home is covered in brightly coloured murals of flowers and eyes painted by pro-Palestinian artists as part of a project called 'I witness Silwan'. Her late husband Awad bought the house from a Palestinian owner in 1975, and she has the documents to prove it. Yet in the eyes of the Israeli legal system, they count for nothing. On June 22, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected her family's final appeal against an eviction process that began a decade ago. 'I've cried so much I lost all my tears,' the widow, 69, says, her weary face framed by a purple hijab. 'I'm dying inside. I'm an elderly woman and I have nowhere else to go.' Israel seized East Jerusalem in the six-day war of 1967 and considers it a part of its undivided capital city. By contrast, almost all the world's countries, including the Australian government, regard East Jerusalem as occupied territory and the prospective capital of a future Palestinian state. Today it is home to around 362,000 Palestinians and 234,000 Israelis. Among those pushing Palestinians out of their homes is Daniel Luria, 65, who grew up in Melbourne but moved to Israel 30 years ago and works as the executive director of Ateret Cohanim, a group that says it 'stands at the forefront of Jewish land reclamation in Jerusalem'. The organisation has been accused by groups such as Amnesty International of using bribery, straw companies and the exploitation of legal technicalities to gain ownership of Palestinian homes. Recordings published in 2018 showed the organisation's chairman and attorney offering Palestinian property owners prostitutes and Viagra, and threatening to destroy their reputations unless they agreed to sell their homes.
Sydney Morning Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia news LIVE: Universities react to anti-semitism envoy report; PM says Australia must not be ‘subservient' to allies
Latest posts Latest posts 7.04am Antisemitism: Jewish groups welcome special envoy report while universities mull response The release of recommendations from the federal government-appointed antisemitism special envoy, Jillian Segal, has prompted a mixed reaction. While organisations such as the Zionist Federation of Australia have welcomed Segal's proposals to curb hate against Jewish people, some have warned the changes presented a threat to free speech and freedom of expression. The most contentious proposals included a call to strip funding from universities, charities and cultural institutions that fail to combat hatred against Jewish people, calls for editorial standards within the media and the screening of visa applicants for antisemitic views. Barrister Greg Barns, SC, spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, said the recommendations represented a threat to freedom of speech and the right to protest and could result in draconian penalties. He pointed out Australia has international human rights obligations to free speech and freedom of expression. 'The temptation will be for universities, cultural institutions and others, including NGOs, to suppress alternative views in relation to Israel,' Barns said. 'Overall there's a chilling aspect to the envoy's recommendations and that is to essentially adopt a Trumpian tool of cajoling and threatening in order to curtail fundamental human rights.' Loading Universities have stopped short of endorsing the plan but said they would consider its recommendations and awaited the federal government's response. Universities Australia chief executive Luke Sheehy welcomed the plan's publication and said he was awaiting details of the government's response. 'This is a significant body of work, and we'll work closely with our members as we consider the recommendations …We look forward to further detail on the government's response,' Sheehy said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese did not say on Thursday whether his government would adopt all the report's recommendations, but he welcomed the report and said that some of its proposals were already under way or could be rolled out quickly. 6.42am Mushroom cook Erin Patterson's life behind bars Mushroom cook and convicted triple murderer Erin Patterson has struggled to adjust to life in prison. This piece, from Chris Vedelago, lifts the curtain on Patterson's new life in prison after being convicted of three counts of murder and one for attempted murderer. The introverted, bright mother of two has consistently struggled to accept exactly where she had ended up, according to sources familiar with her conditions. She doesn't curse or spit at the guards or bash anyone. But she has put inmates and guards off with her constant complaints, which are often taken as showing her complete lack of awareness of where she is. 'Her cell is too hot or too cold: 'What are you going to do about it?' she'd say. It was complaint after complaint after complaint,' says a guard who formerly worked in her unit. 'It's not a hotel; it's a prison. Yes, she wasn't convicted yet. But it's still a prison. It's not meant to be customised for your comfort.' 6.30am 'I lost my tears'; the Australian taking on a controversial role in East Jerusalem Like many buildings East Jerusalem's Silwan district, Najah al-Rajabi's home is covered in brightly coloured murals of flowers and eyes painted by pro-Palestinian artists as part of a project called 'I witness Silwan'. Her late husband Awad bought the house from a Palestinian owner in 1975, and she has the documents to prove it. Yet in the eyes of the Israeli legal system, they count for nothing. On June 22, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected her family's final appeal against an eviction process that began a decade ago. 'I've cried so much I lost all my tears,' the widow, 69, says, her weary face framed by a purple hijab. 'I'm dying inside. I'm an elderly woman and I have nowhere else to go.' Israel seized East Jerusalem in the six-day war of 1967 and considers it a part of its undivided capital city. By contrast, almost all the world's countries, including the Australian government, regard East Jerusalem as occupied territory and the prospective capital of a future Palestinian state. Today it is home to around 362,000 Palestinians and 234,000 Israelis. Among those pushing Palestinians out of their homes is Daniel Luria, 65, who grew up in Melbourne but moved to Israel 30 years ago and works as the executive director of Ateret Cohanim, a group that says it 'stands at the forefront of Jewish land reclamation in Jerusalem'. The organisation has been accused by groups such as Amnesty International of using bribery, straw companies and the exploitation of legal technicalities to gain ownership of Palestinian homes. Recordings published in 2018 showed the organisation's chairman and attorney offering Palestinian property owners prostitutes and Viagra, and threatening to destroy their reputations unless they agreed to sell their homes.
The Age
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Antisemitism: Jewish groups back Jillian Segal report, while critics warn of curbs on free speech
'Jillian Segal's office does some really good work for the community on the whole,' he said. Barrister Greg Barns, SC, spokesman for the Australian Lawyers Alliance, said the recommendations represented a threat to freedom of speech and the right to protest and could result in draconian penalties. He pointed out Australia has international human rights obligations to free speech and freedom of expression. 'The temptation will be for universities, cultural institutions and others, including NGOs, to suppress alternative views in relation to Israel,' Barns said. He said one call for new laws around hate speech was 'bizarre and dangerous' given substantial reforms earlier this year. 'To be calling for further laws only six months after major legislative change is just bizarre.' Loading Barns also said it could set precedents for future governments to impose the same rules on other groups, such as environmentalists, to suppress opposition. 'Overall there's a chilling aspect to the envoy's recommendations and that is to essentially adopt a Trumpian tool of cajoling and threatening in order to curtail fundamental human rights.' Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion, KC, said the plan fully aligned with his organisation's thoughts. 'Its release could not be more timely given the recent appalling events in Melbourne. The actions which the plan calls for are now urgently needed,' Aghion said. 'We call upon all sectors of society, including government, law enforcement, the media, the university sector, education authorities and online platform providers, to co-operate with the Special Envoy and the Jewish community to give this action plan full force and effect.' Dr Max Kaiser, executive officer of the pro-Palestinian Jewish Council of Australia, said antisemitism was real and must be taken seriously, but Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism, and other forms of hate, could not be ignored. 'This document reads more like a blueprint for silencing dissent rather than a strategy to build inclusion.' The report also calls on institutions to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism. The definition has been embraced by many Jewish groups and was adopted by Australia under then prime minister Scott Morrison, but critics argue it stifles free speech and conflates criticism of Israel with antisemitism. It reads: 'Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.' Loading Kaiser said the report's language, coupled with this definition, made the recommendations 'dangerously unclear'. A spokesperson for Free Palestine Melbourne, one of the groups behind the regular Sunday rallies in Melbourne's CBD, said this definition of antisemitism had been criticised by 'legal scholars, human rights organisations, and even its original drafters for being vague and politically loaded'. 'We find it incredible that Jillian Segal should be demanding that all public institutions be forced to adopt a definition of antisemitism that mendaciously defines criticism of Israel as a form of antisemitism,' the spokesperson said. 'Enshrining this definition in policy would not protect Jewish Australians – it would shield a foreign government from legitimate scrutiny, and punish those who challenge it. 'We call upon the Albanese government to reflect upon its duty towards the Australian people and uphold the independence and integrity of their educational, journalistic and cultural institutions.' Loading University of NSW honorary associate professor Peter Slezak, who is Jewish and regularly speaks at pro-Palestine protests, said the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's proposed definition should be rejected for conflating what he said was justified criticism of Israel with antisemitism. 'The envoy doesn't even mention any of the reasons you might be angry about Israel. To be angry at [Israel] is not antisemitic.'
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
NSW workers' compensation overhaul would make it ‘virtually impossible' to lodge successful claims, experts warn
A contentious overhaul to Australia's largest workers' compensation scheme would make it 'virtually impossible' for people to lodge successful claims and strip away the rights of employees, unions and experts have argued. An inquiry into the proposed changes, which Chris Minns' government claims are necessary to avoid unsustainable costs, began on Friday. The New South Wales workplace health and safety laws and workers' compensation scheme protect more than 3.6 million workers. Under the proposed changes, psychological injuries caused solely by work pressure would no longer be eligible for compensation, and to make a claim in the context of suffering sexual harassment or bullying, workers would be required to front a court or tribunal. The principal lawyer at the Australian Lawyers Alliance, Shane Butcher, told the ABC on Friday the legislation, if passed in its current form, would 'drastically strip away' the rights of individual workers, particularly those who suffered psychological injuries. 'There has been little to no consultation until recently and the people of NSW should be entirely concerned they will have no right at all if the changes go through without amendment,' he said. 'From how to lodge a claim to how psychological injuries are defined, to the threshold you need to meet to claim compensation and when you can get compensation – it makes it virtually impossible.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Butcher conceded there had been increased psychological claims in NSW but 'what we cannot do is cut them off and leave them to fend for themselves'. 'People who are navigating that system who need help, and separating those who try to exploit it – what is the balance? This bill does not have any balance,' he said. 'It simply strips away rights.' The Unions NSW secretary, Mark Morey, told the inquiry there was 'ample room for reform' but the legislation was 'dragging us back to a time where we ignored psychological injury and mental health wellbeing'. Speaking to reporters after fronting the inquiry, Morey said the 'poorly drafted piece of legislation' would ensure 'the vast majority of workers will never get the support they need'. 'These are … child protection workers, nurses, teachers, people who are beavering away every day and just getting their job done, and when they need a little bit of mental health support … this government is ripping it away from them to fill a black hole in their budget,' he said. The NSW treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, told the inquiry the exposure draft was not the government's final position. But in the absence of reform, there was 'the risk of an entire collapse', he said. Mookhey rejected suggestions that Labor's refusal to inject more cash into the fund unless the reforms were passed was a 'brazen ultimatum'. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion He said funding was needed for schools, hospitals and the state's other needs – including preventing psychological injuries from occurring. The deputy president of the NSW Teachers Federation, Amber Flohm, said teachers experienced injuries that had a 'significant impact on their mental health' through the course of their work and they deserved support. 'That is vicarious trauma of student and staff events that they often, far too often, are experiencing,' she said, citing bullying, unsustainable workloads and burnout. 'The treasurer has issued a blunt instrument to a complex mental health issue. Are we seriously suggesting that a teacher who was catatonic trying to deal with the trauma of losing a student should bear the brunt of that cost deficit?' The Australian Association of Psychologists vice-president, Katrina Norris, said the scheme was entirely unfit for managing psychological injuries, which faced the same requirements as physical injuries. She said raising the threshold of 'permanent impairment' to 31%, as had been proposed, could conceivably exclude nearly all workers from making a legitimate mental health claim. 'This is akin to trying to fit a round peg into a square hole and has created problems with the way claims are assessed and managed,' she wrote in a submission. 'An impairment of 15% requires an individual to be unable to function independently in almost all domains of life.' In Australia, support is available at Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, and at MensLine on 1300 789 978. In the UK, the charity Mind is available on 0300 123 3393 and Childline on 0800 1111. In the US, call or text Mental Health America at 988 or chat
