| Quotes: |
| How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being. - Oscar Wilde |
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| Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein |
| Quotes: |
| Education: that which reveals to the wise, and conceals from the stupid, the vast limits of their knowledge. - Mark Twain |
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| I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him. - Mark Twain |
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| Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence. - Albert Einstein |
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| Thursday, February 22, 2007 |
| Show us your politics Kirby! |
Chief Justice Michael Kirby is presiding over a case being held in the high court regarding the intricacies of the defence power in the Australian Constitution. Brief precis of the case is that Joseph Thomas was convicted under anti-terrorism laws imposed by the government after september 11 (hands up those who kept the fridge magnet - yes both of you). His conviction was overturned after it was found that key prosecution evidence was inadmissable; the federal police then slapped a control order on him which force him to comply with the following:
- Curfew between midnight & 5am
- Only allowed to have mobile & land line approved by AFP
- Must apply in writing to make phone calls
- Must not communicate with known terrorists
- Must agree to be fingerprinted
- Must not leave Australia
Now I personally can't see a problem with the first point or the last 3 (fingerprinting would have already been done whether he agreed or not), but the rest I think are a little excessive.
It would appear at this point as if Justice Kirby agrees. He makes the very clear point that more people die from AIDS every day than were killed in September 11 and in response to Commonwealth Solicitor-General Mr Bennett QC's comment that
"one cannot say" September 11 was something that was only affecting the US, since al-Qaeda materials were "replete" with specific threats to Australia." Justice Kirby responded asking whether those references were made:
"after Australia participated in the war in Iraq?" It will be very interesting to see what the outcome is of this test case challenge against the constitution.
More info here, here & here. |
posted by Blue @ 8:44 pm  |
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| 2 Comments: |
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The phone restriction about getting permission to use/make a phone call seems a bit excessive. Do you all have the equivalent of 911, the numbers for emergencies? What if he needs medical/fire/police protections?
Oh, I know, he just needs to contact the folks outside his door who are watching him.
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This is stupid stupid stupid.
A political fall-guy for a political nincompoop.
I love what Keating called Howard yesterday...
"That little desicated coconut.." and Costello as being
"All tip and no iceberg"..
Wonderful use of words!!!!
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The phone restriction about getting permission to use/make a phone call seems a bit excessive. Do you all have the equivalent of 911, the numbers for emergencies? What if he needs medical/fire/police protections?
Oh, I know, he just needs to contact the folks outside his door who are watching him.