Fighting Words: A Review of Sedition Laws in Australia (ALRC 104)
In this Inquiry, the ALRC examined the offence of sedition, as amended by federal Parliament in 2005. The attempt to modernise the old sedition offences in the Crimes Act was part of the federal Government’s Anti-Terrorism Act (No 2) 2005, which targets activity promoting terrorist violence.
The sedition provisions were controversial, with concerns expressed through the media and identified by a Senate inquiry that the laws may intrude unreasonably upon freedom of speech.
To help clarify the issues under consideration in the Inquiry, the ALRC released two consultation papers—an Issues Paper, Review of Sedition Laws (IP 30) on 20 March 2006 and a Discussion Paper, Review of Sedition Laws (DP 71) on 29 May 2006 .
The final report— Fighting Words: A Review of Sedition Laws in Australia (ALRC 104) —was delivered to the Attorney-General on 31 July 2006 and tabled in federal Parliament on 13 September 2006.
Media releases relating to this inquiry:
- Support for anti-violence measures, not ‘sedition’ (13 September 2006)
- ALRC: Are sedition laws necessary and effective? (20 March 2006)
- ‘Sedition’ should go, focus on urging violence: ALRC (29 May 2006)
- Sedition law review must strike a delicate balance: ALRC (2 March 2006)
The recommendations of ALRC 104 have not yet been implemented.