Law Commons^™

Explainer: How Do Australia's Laws On Hate Speech Work In Practice?, Luke Mcnamara, Katharine Gelber

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

The Abbott government’s intention to amend national racist hate speech law has reignited a debate that has raged in Australia for decades: is there a place for laws that condemn public conduct that is likely to cause harm or generate ill-feeling towards racial minorities?

It’s an important question, and diverse views should be ventilated.

But the grand claims made from both corners – that hate speech laws have no place in a democracy, or that they are a valuable way of protecting minorities – are rarely backed up with evidence. This is unfortunate and unnecessary. Today, more than 20 years …

One-Punch Laws, Mandatory Minimums And 'Alcohol-Fuelled' As An Aggravating Factor: Implications For Nsw Criminal Law, Julia Quilter

Faculty of Law, Humanities and the Arts - Papers (Archive)

This article critically examines the New South Wales State Government's latest policy response to the problem of alcohol-related violence and anxiety about 'one punch' killings: the recently enacted Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment (Assault and Intoxication) Act 2014 (NSW). Based on an analysis of both the circumstances out of which it emerged, and the terms in which the new offences of assault causing death and assault causing death while intoxicated have been defined, I argue that the Act represents another example of criminal law 'reform' that is devoid of principle, produces a lack of coherence in the criminal law and, …