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| Down Under |
| Australia's Plan to toughen terror laws further |
| 2005-04-10 |
| THE Federal Government wants to make it easier to jail people who threaten terrorist acts. The push comes after a man accused of terrorist threats was acquitted this week. Attorney-General Philip Ruddock has asked the Commonwealth's Director of Public Prosecutions to re-examine the case of Zaky Mallah, who was acquitted by a Sydney court. Supermarket worker Mallah, 21, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill officers from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and diplomats. The first person to be charged under Australia's tough terrorist laws, Mallah was found not guilty by a Supreme Court jury of other terrorist-related charges. The jury judged Mallah, an orphan, to be a youthful attention-seeker with psychological problems, rather than someone serious about terrorism. Mallah had made a video of himself declaring a jihad against ASIO, and a police raid found a rifle and bullets in his flat. His defence was that he was angry his passport application was rejected by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on ASIO's recommendation. Mr Ruddock told The Sunday Mail that the anti-terrorist laws were an unfinished canvas. "Mallah was not convicted because the jury didn't believe he had an intention to commit a terrorist act," he said. "If Mallah couldn't be convicted for planning a terrorist act, a further range of terrorist offences might be necessary." A Government majority in the Senate in July will make it easier to pass tougher laws. Mr Ruddock said police have asked for extra powers and his department was considering more fine-tuning of anti-terror laws, "however ASIO, at this time, has not asked me for more powers". Mr Ruddock is awaiting a report from Australian Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty detailing changes to how evidence is presented in terrorist trials. Controversial laws allowing ASIO to detain and question terror suspects, which have a sunset clause of July 2006, are up for review. Civil libertarians want the laws scrapped, and Federal Opposition spokesman on security matters Robert McClelland said there was no need for new terror laws. "Our legislation is as strong as any comparable country. It's far too premature to talk about enlarging ASIO's powers when they are yet to be fully utilised," he said. |
| Posted by:God Save The World |