[october15thsolidarity.info] A report from international jurists has condemned so-called ‚anti-terrorism‘ laws saying they undermine human rights. After a three-year global study, the International Commission of Jurists said many states used the public’s fear of terrorism to introduce such measures. It concluded that many measures introduced to fight terrorism were illegal and counter-productive.
Over the past year, the New Zealand Law Commission has begun a review of the Terrorism Suppression Act (TSA). This follows on from the Solicitor-General’s findings in November of 2007 in relation to people arrested on October 15th that the law was "unnecessarily complex, unworkable and almost impossible to apply in a domestic situation". Unfortunately for us, the review by the Law Commission is likely to recommend superficial changes to the TSA, which simply strengthens and clarifies the applicability of the law to internal situations rather than completely scrapping that law and the many other anti-terrorism laws passed in the wake of 9/11.
Fear of terrorism
The international panel reviewed counter-terrorism measures in over 40 countries, and heard from government officials, victims of terror attacks, and from people detained on suspicion of terrorism. Some of the world’s top international law experts served on the ICJ panel, including Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former United Nations human rights commissioner, and Arthur Chaskelson, former president of the constitutional court of South Africa. Mr. Chaskelson, chairman of the panel, said: "In the course of this inquiry, we have been shocked by the extent of the damage done over the past seven years by excessive or abusive counter-terrorism measures in a wide range of countries around the world." Many governments, ignoring the lessons of history, have allowed themselves to be rushed into hasty responses to terrorism that have undermined cherished values and violated human rights.
In New Zealand
The new National government is on a ‚law and order‘ rampage. In their short time in office, they have passed draconian laws relating to parole, bail, sentencing and surveillance. They will no doubt be vocal supporters of more stringent laws on terrorism. Alex Comte, law lecturer at Canterbury has noted that New Zealand’s existing laws are more than capable of dealing with crime, and that creating a new distinct category of terrorism law is dangerous because the definition of a ‚terrorist act‘ is always going to be a political decision.
What can we do?
It is time for us to take to the streets to educate and inform people about what is going on and to agitate for change from the grassroots. We need to be prepared for the attacks by the state against those who speak out against these measures and stand in solidarity with struggles happening around the world. You can get involved in October 15th Solidarity and organise for justice and against the Terrorism Suppression
Act. Get in touch with us at
info@October15thSolidarity.info
