Ruling clears way for tougher laws
THE High Court ruling in favour of the Howard Government's control order regime may open the way for even more stringent anti-terror laws.
THE High Court ruling in favour of the Howard Government's control order regime may open the way for even more stringent anti-terror laws.
A leading constitutional lawyer said the decision in the case of Jack Thomas, who is subject to the nation's first interim control order, showed the current High Court would take a "benign" view of greater police powers.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said he was considering beefing up parts of the legislation.
Constitutional lawyer George Williams said Mr Ruddock had spoken too soon in dismissing the success of any future legal challenges to terrorism legislation. "There's a lot of other bits that could be challenged. For instance, the ASIO powers and the National Security Information Act," he said.
Criminal barrister Greg Barns said the High Court judgment -- the first time in Australia's modern history the High Court has accepted that the Government is entitled to use its defence powers to protect national security outside of a time of war -- was "disturbing".
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