To anyone concerned about civil liberties and law suits

Greg Ogle
THERE is an important opportunity now to raise the need to protect civil liberties from gunns20 style law suits. These law suits can silence public debate and political protest, and this is something that should be put into the debate on a National Human Rights Act.

Currently there is a government mandated national consultation process happening (led by Frank Brennan) into what rights Australians want protected. This is leading to a possible Human Rights Act for Australia. When we have raised the civil liberties problems gunns20-type law suits with the Federal Attorney-General, we have been directed to this process. It is the biggest Federal government consultation ever with meetings all over the country, plus written submissions and more. More info at http://www.humanrightsconsultation.gov.au/

The consultation forums are in Tasmania in the next week or so:

Launceston: 30 April 2009 – midday

Burnie: 1 May 2009 – 11am

Hobart: 4 May – midday, and 8pm.

You need to register at http://www.humanrightsconsultation.gov.au/www/nhrcc/community.nsf/calendar

It would be great if people with experience of being concerned or silenced by the Gunns20 or other law suits went to the consultation or made a written submission. The committee is clear that you don’t need to be a human rights expert, they just want to know your experience and your views. So, please go (or write) and simply tell your experience of being sued, or of how knowing about the law suits impacted on you and the exercise of your rights. The more stories the better.

I went to the Adelaide forum last week – 250 people at one forum. It was pretty friendly. I basically said that I had spent the last 12 years supporting people who had been sued for exercising their rights (Gunns 20, Hindmarsh Island bridge), and that the rights I wanted to protected were the right to free speech, the right to free association and the right to protest.

The Wilderness Society will be making a formal submission to the consultation process, but again, it is really up to everyone to put their own concerns into the mix. It is not every day you get a chance to be part of writing a Bill of Rights for Australia!!

Cheers

Greg Ogle

Dr Greg Ogle

Legal Coordinator

The Wilderness Society Inc

Paul IJ Oosting
Pulp Mill Campaigner

The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.

To find about Gunns’ proposed pulp mill go to:

http://www.wilderness.org.au/campaigns/pulp-mill