Sunday 24th of November 2024
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freedom wars .....

freedom wars .....

 

from today’s Sydney morning herald …..

‘Significant parts of the Government's terrorism laws may be unconstitutional, the recently retired High Court judge Michael McHugh says.

Mr McHugh believes the ability to detain people who are not suspected criminals is dubious, as are control orders imposed on people who have not been convicted of any offence. He also criticised the prohibition on praising acts of terrorism.

In a paper in this month's Australian Bar Review, Mr McHugh said most of the terrorism laws created since 2001 were not open to serious constitutional challenge, but some important parts of them were.’

Judge Blasts Terrorism Laws

Tortuous torture

The fluorescent lights in his cell were never turned off, he said. At most hours, heavy metal or country music blared in the corridor. He said he was rousted at random times without explanation and made to stand in his cell. Even lying down, he said, he was kept from covering his face to block out the light, noise and cold. And when he was released after 97 days he was exhausted, depressed and scared.

Whot eez Tortoore?

 The president endlessly reminds listeners that “the U.S. does not torture” and that “torture is not an American value.” But “What is torture?” is the Bush version of the Pontius Pilate question. He appears to be using the definition of torture crafted by Justice Department official John Yoo: if detainees weren’t maimed or killed, they weren’t tortured. And the Justice Department acts as though, even if detainees are killed during interrogations, it is best to treat the deaths as harmless errors.