Bill of rights ‘needed to counter Abbott’s over-reach’

The federal government’s “over-reach” on counter-terrorism laws is eroding Australia’s political and legal systems, one of the country’s top law academics has told a Magna Carta anniversary ceremony in Canberra.

Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs warned that “prioritised government power” was becoming routine under the Abbott government.

Speaking at a special sitting of the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court on 15 June, Triggs called for an Australian Bill of Rights to protect individual rights or “the idea of a fair go”.