Magnitsky laws: it’s time for Australia to step up, says Geoffrey Robertson

The drumbeat is ­building in Australia for our own Magnitsky laws, to allow for targeted sanctions against human rights abusers.

The Australian Government has a lot on its plate but the drumbeat is ­building for our own Magnitsky laws, which allow for targeted sanctions against foreigners who have committed human rights abuses.

A bipartisan parliamentary committee has already considered the issue and recommended the new law and now it’s time to act, says international human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson in a new book, ticking off abuses in Russia, China, Myanmar and elsewhere. Australia is envied for the stability of its banks and the quality of its hospitals, schools, universities and lifestyle, he says. Why should our commercial and cultural structures be made available to the cruel and corrupt?