Thursday, October 20, 2005

Bob Hogg: Democracy muted by fear

Australian Financial Review 20/10/05

Expanding the old sedition offence will also stretch the translation skills, interpretation and objectivity of ASIO and its cohorts.

Tragically, the sedition provisions were last used in 1960 in the prosecution of Brian Cooper, who was a patrol officer in Papua New Guinea. He was charged and convicted because - in pidgin English - "he advisedly spoke and published seditious words" when urging "the natives" to demand national independence. He lost his appeal to the High Court of Australia and committed suicide.

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