THE Australian Catholic Social Justice Council (ACSJC) is opposing new powers proposed for ASIO in the fight against terrorism.
On International Human Rights Day, December 10, when the ASIO Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Bill was debated in the Senate, the ACSJC called for all political parties to consider opposing the bill.
The new laws would give ASIO the right to detain and question people without charge for up to a week, and would apply to ‘non-suspects’ thought to have knowledge about terrorism but not necessarily involved.
The issue was left unresolved when the House of Representatives closed for the summer recess.
ACSJC chairman, Bishop William Morris of Toowoomba, said the proposed powers would threaten certain liberties.
‘It is a concern that citizens could be detained without having committed or being suspected of a criminal offence,’ Bishop Morris said.
‘The ACSJC is mindful that recent tragic events in Bali and other acts of terrorism have seen increased public debate on issues of national security,’ he said.
‘However, it is of great concern that our nation’s response to the perceived threat of terrorism could infringe common standards of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in this way,’ Bishop Morris said.
