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Keywords: Freedom

There are more than 200 results, only the first 200 are displayed here.

  • AUSTRALIA

    The High Court and the detention of asylum seekers

    • Frank Brennan
    • 04 December 2023
    8 Comments

    Last month, the High Court overturned a controversial 2004 decision, reaffirming the principle that asylum seekers cannot be detained indefinitely without prospects of deportation. This ruling not only corrects a historical misstep but also reasserts the High Court's commitment to limiting executive overreach.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Time and change

    • Gillian Bouras
    • 30 November 2023
    3 Comments

    Change often hurts or is at least hard to adjust to. Sometimes I yearn for a simpler way of doing things, for a period when people’s expectations were more modest, and when the average person was not as materialistic. However, it has to be conceded that we have made progress in some areas, and that some changes are for the better.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    When law making bastardises the Law

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 30 November 2023
    8 Comments

    Any legislation hastily designed to negate the effect of the High Court decisions will be vulnerable again to be struck down on judicial appeal. That haste suggests an initial disregard for human rights and the rule of law by Governments and an ingrained resistance to any limitation of its power. Vindictive laws come at a heavy cost to the integrity and reputation of the lawmakers. 

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  • RELIGION

    The real enemy is war

    • Andrew Hamilton
    • 23 November 2023
    3 Comments

    Those who declare that the real enemy is war and who advocate for peace are usually criticised for being naively optimistic. But it is possible to recognise war to be the real enemy, while simultaneously recognising the complex challenges involved in avoiding war and encouraging peace.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    The day John F. Kennedy, C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley died

    • Juliette Hughes
    • 22 November 2023
    1 Comment

    Sixty years ago today, on November 22, 1963, the world lost three towering figures of the 20th century. On their diamond jubilee, do I think it was the end of the world as we know it when these three died? Each one shaped the twentieth century in a unique way. Each one left us with much to think about still.  

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Can we curb misinformation while retaining freedom of expression?

    • Frank Brennan
    • 09 November 2023
    4 Comments

    As the government drafts legislation to stem the rising tide of misinformation circulating online, the nation debates: will these measures sufficiently regulate online content and curb potential harms or threaten freedom of expression? This moment is a critical test for the integrity of Australia's public discourse.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    The plight of the Australian whistleblower

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 09 November 2023
    1 Comment

    Next week, former army lawyer David McBride will face trial, accused of leaking classified defence information. Meanwhile, the prospect of meaningful whistleblower reforms that would shield Australian public servants who contemplate exposing wrongdoing through the media seems remote.

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  • AUSTRALIA

    Truth or dare: Australia's misinformation challenge

    • Julian Butler
    • 02 November 2023
    1 Comment

    The proposed Misinformation Bill straddles the delicate balance between freedom of speech and the rising threat of misinformation, posing a challenge that could redefine the landscape of media and public conversation. The problem goes beyond discerning the truth, but determining how a democratic society identifies it amid a sea of conflicting voices.

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    The uses of violence: The Israeli-Hamas war

    • Binoy Kampmark
    • 26 October 2023
    5 Comments

    Following the Hamas attack on October 7, the world is forced to grapple with the profound complexities of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, a mire of historical grievances, selective narratives, and devastating violence. With both sides weaponising the weight of their tragedies for the international stage, the tragedy's core remains: innocent lives lost in a perpetuating cycle of violence. 

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  • EDUCATION

    How should my class reckon with the referendum?

    • Helena Kadmos
    • 26 October 2023
    2 Comments

    In the wake of the referendum, how can a curriculum be used to foster a sense of reflection, understanding, and dialogue among young minds? As classrooms become the backdrop for conversations around Indigenous voices, democracy, and social change, what does it mean to truly listen?

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  • INTERNATIONAL

    Conflict over the conflict

    • Kenneth S Stern
    • 25 October 2023

    The university campus is really the ideal place to tackle thorny issues. It is a safe place to examine all ideas, even — or perhaps especially — those that people find offensive or disturbing. The sad fact, though, is that there is a push these days to send the opposite message to students — that they should be shielded from intellectual discomfort. (From 2022)

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  • ARTS AND CULTURE

    Doubt requires belief: The Fickle Pendulum

    • Les Wicks
    • 04 October 2023
    1 Comment

    In The Fickle Pendulum, Paul Scully deftly weaves centuries of human exploration — from the doubt of St Thomas to Galileo's scientific certainties. Journeying through epochs, blending faith with skepticism, Scully makes the arcane comes alive, offering readers a profound immersion into the expanse of human introspection.

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