Australia: National Human Rights Institutions Commit Meet to Protect Human Rights in Counter-Terrorism

Australia’s Parliament has enacted new legislation restricting contact with banned organisations and granting wider powers to the security services. Under the new laws, anyone found contacting such organisations or their supporters can be imprisoned. Family members who wish to communicate with detained relatives allegedly involved with a prohibited organisation will only be able to discuss family matters during visits. In further changes, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation will have the power to seize passports to prevent anyone suspected of having knowledge of a planned terrorist attack from fleeing the country. The laws also allow the Government to transfer persons detained on national security matters to special jails.