Australia proposes revising counterterrorism laws

Thursday 13th August, 01:05 PM JST

ADELAIDE, Australia —

Terrorism would be redefined to include psychological harm and police would gain emergency powers to search homes without warrants under proposed revisions to Australia’s counterterrorism laws.

Attorney-General Robert McClelland said Thursday that the proposed reforms—the most sweeping since the 2005 London bombings, when a series of tough measures were quickly enacted—sought a balance between shielding the nation from potential terrorism and protecting civil liberties.

“That’s simply what we’re about, to balance the need to give effective tools to law enforcement agencies and in so doing not undermining the fundamental freedoms that are part of our way of life that we cherish,” McClelland told Sky News television.

Law enforcement powers would be expanded in some areas, but safeguards would be added in others to protect citizens from lengthy detentions or wrongful arrests.

McClelland released the proposed changes Wednesday in a 452-page discussion paper and they will be open to public comment for six weeks before bills are presented to Parliament for a vote.

The paper suggests a range of reforms to existing legislation, including expanding the definition of a terrorist act in the Criminal Code to include psychological as well as physical harm, creating a new offense for terrorism hoaxes punishable by up to 10 years in jail, and adding another offense of inciting violence on the basis of race, religion, nationality, national origin or political opinion.

Another measure would give police emergency powers to enter and search premises without a warrant if it is suspected there is material related to a terrorist act and a threat to public safety.

The proposed reforms would limit the detention of a person without charges to eight days. This change followed a review of the case of Mohamad Haneef, an Indian doctor wrongly linked to attack plots in Britain who was held for 12 days without charges before being released.

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5 Comments

Gombei424Canada at 04:41 PM JST - 13th August

Well, this PROVES John Howard is as bad as bush, whom he probably took notes from.Sheesh.
neverknow2 at 07:30 PM JST - 13th August

Well, this PROVES John Howard is as bad as bush, whom he probably took notes from.Sheesh.

Yeah I agree. Now we just have to vote him in again as Prime Minister so we can tell him to scrap this bill.
thepro at 08:30 PM JST - 13th August

neverknow2, lol
Triumvere at 10:29 PM JST - 13th August

"psychological harm"...?

Uh, isn't that a little, uh... I haven't read 1984, but Orwell somehow springs to mind.
neverknow2 at 12:09 AM JST - 14th August

Mohamad Haneef, an Indian doctor wrongly linked to attack plots in Britain

This guy bought a phone for a relative who was involved. I think to say wrongly linked would be an error.