The quick once-over that is supposed to keep us free

Writing in the Sydney Morning Herald (19/02/10) Richard Ackland suggests that “Reports of the death of a proposed bill or charter of rights may, as Mark Twain said of his own demise, be an exaggeration”. Hopefully he is correct in this assessment.

Mr Ackland also reviews the proposal for a parliamentary committee to vet legislation, one being pushed by some opponents as an alternative to a human rights bill or charter. Examining the track record of such processes in other jurisdictions he vividly demonstrates that this is not effective.  More: