Innocent until proven guilty… but of course that has to be weighed against the threat to national security in the age of terror. The rule of law has been given a workout over the past few weeks. A Crikey timeline.
Mick Keelty
Haneef, Andrews and the web of hypocrisy
Federal Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews’ weekend media performances merely confirmed what must be becoming obvious to any disinterested observer of Mr Andrews’ conduct over the Haneef matter – he lacks the insight and wisdom to be a government minister in a sensitive portfolio where he is dealing with people’s lives.
The Haneef fiasco: It’s the law stupid
Over the course of this past week two commentators on the Haneef case – The Australian’s Janet Albrechtsen and lawyer Peter Faris – have got it badly wrong.
Haneef: an ugly opportunity knocks
Kevin Rudd is a capital O opportunist politician. There is little that he won’t say or do to get elected as Prime Minister later this year, and one has to interpret his and his Party’s cowardliness on the case of Mohammed Haneef over the past few weeks in this context.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
Conspiracies and c*ckups over Haneef … Tassie - a world leader in native forest demolition … the new Qantas logo … a lack of reformist zeal …
The Australian‘s strong ethical justification over Haneef
It is now clear that there was strong ethical justification for The Australian’s, decision to publish the leaked transcript of the interview of Dr Mohamed Haneef and the Australian Federal Police, writes Dennis Muller.
Reporting standards go out the window in Haneef witchhunt
Even terror suspects have the same rights as any other individual. So New Ltd journos Lincoln Wright and Paula Doneman should apologise to Dr Haneef after incorrectly claiming he was involved in a plot to blow up a Gold Coast building.
It’s time to reconsider the laws of contempt
Yesterday was one of those days in Australian legal history which should be marked on the calendar. Hopefully it is remembered as the day when at last Australia’s justice system began to slowly creep into the 21st century and began to reform its contempt of court laws, writes Greg Barns.
Mitchell was still wrong to discuss Haneef leak with the AFP
Oz editor Chris Mitchell has sound journalistic values – which makes his conduct with AFP chief Bill Keelty all the more surprising and sad.
Another terror case, another leak. A pattern emerges
Oh no, not again. A News Limited newspaper – this time The Australian - is the recipient of a juicy leak in a terrorism case. This time it’s an extract from a 142 page transcript of an AFP interview with Mohammed Haneef.
The Oz, the AFP and the Haneef leak: What is going on?
What’s going on with the editor of The Australian, Chris Mitchell, and the Australian Federal Police?
Leak puts The Australian in the ethical frame
Serious ethical as well as legal questions arise from the publication in The Australian today of excerpts from an interview by the Australian Federal Police with Dr Mohamed Haneef.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Comments, corrections, clarifications, and c*ckups
Dr Haneef … the rise of military contractors … the separation of “mental powers” in government … distilling the polls … why you are safer in an airliner than in a hospital …
Haneef on bail, Ruddock guilty of meddling
So Dr Mohammed Haneef gets bail this morning in Brisbane. Meanwhile he has no home to go and he has lost his job. Still, at least he’s a free man.
And on Haneef’s detention the ALP said … nothing
An old friend of mine – a prominent Melbourne barrister and human rights advocate Len Hartnett – told me the other day that he lives in a state of perpetual disappointment when he thinks of the ALP and human rights. And that condition has not been ameliorated when he observes the ALP’s pathetic lips zipped tight reaction to the oppressive and inhumane treatment of Dr Haneef, and the behavior of the law enforcement apparatus of the State over the past two weeks.
Tabloids sow the “Seeds of Terror”
If you use the Herald Sun’s logic, John Howard is directly linked to al-Qaeda, writes Irfan Yusuf.
The terror script changes
Australian police are continuing to question the Gold Coast Hospital registrar over the failed car bombings in London and Glasgow, but the usual terror script isn’t being followed. The dynamics are different.
The Oz isn’t alert but wants us to be alarmed
Just who are The Australian’s “national security sources” that are prepared to name imams and speculate on young pockets of “ideological sleeper cells”?
London, Glasgow, Brisbane: UK terror links to Queensland
Attorney General Philip Ruddock and AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty and Queensland Premier Peter Beattie and his police commissioner have given media conference this morning in the wake of the arrest of a Queensland hospital registrar recruited from the UK at Brisbane International airport last night after advice from UK authorities investigating last week’s terror attacks in England and Scotland, writes Christian Kerr.
More questions from the state of national emergency
More questions from the state of national emergency – beginning with a quick one for Justice Minister David Johnston and the media-friendly AFP Commissioner, Mick Keelty: Have you cancelled annual leave and recalled officers to deal with this national emergency?
Questions from the state of national emergency
As patriotic citizens, the Crikey crew want to play their part in assisting with the emergency in indigenous Australia. So we’ve drawn up some questions for the Prime Minister or his Justice Minister, David Johnston or even the AFP media unit.
Slow progress at Printgate
There are some investigations where police are happy to give an ongoing commentary that shows how clever and thorough they are, but not this time. Inquiries about the case the Queensland media has dubbed Printgate bring from the Australian Federal Police nothing more than the deadpan “this is an ongoing investigation”.
Heffernan rails against s-x and the legal profession
Some lawyers take drugs and others find themselves convicted of s-x crimes. How does that make the legal profession different from any other group in the community, asks Greg Barns.
Some terrorists are more muslim than others
George Orwell wrote in Animal Farm that all animals were equal but some were more equal than others. The muted journalistic responses to the arrest of two Melbourne Tamil Tiger terror suspects suggests the same principle applies to terrorism.
ACT police mystery: see what happens when you call for transparency?
Strange things are happening in Canberra and the possible angles on the apparent suicide of the ACT’s police chief boggle the mind.
