The ‘pleasant fiction’ of a rules-based order has been blown apart. It’s time for Australia to codify a bill of rights
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/31/australia-charter-bill-of-rights
The ‘pleasant fiction’ of a rules-based order has been blown apart. It’s time for Australia to codify a bill of rights
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/31/australia-charter-bill-of-rights
14 Comments
Title is a bit of a non sequitur, but both sentences are quite correct.
At what point do the American people decide that tyranny has arrived and that is why their fucked up 2nd Amendment exists! To fight tyranny.
The problem with a codified bill of rights can be its inflexibility to changes. You would need further constitutional amendments to change them and the longer they exist the more ingrained they become to a society. Just look at how America treats its bill of rights and how impossible it can be to change.
Vic and Queensland Labor both can’t uphold the rights of the child.
NSW Labor believes you have no right to protest.
SA Labor is determined to destroy its cultural institutions rather than allow uncomfortable speech.
Federal Labor leaves people in poverty, is allergic to transparency, still violates asylum rights, and has just issued formal invitations to a genocidaire, an ethnic cleanser, and a war criminal.
Who do we propose will author this bill of rights? Because I certainly have no faith in mainstream politics protecting our rights.
Man only reddit could say that a Bill of Rights is bad
And at the same time separate from the UK
I don’t really see the connection. And the US has proven that a written, historical, well established and well respected list of rights won’t save you from a government going rogue who will just ignore or creatively reinterpret them. Whereas if your democracy is functioning well and your government is sane you need them less and risk being tied to archaic or political “rights”.
This is ridiculous. Doesn’t the US experience demonstrate that a bill of rights doesn’t mean shit if your judiciary isn’t willing to enforce it?
Do you really trust the Australian government to be involved in the creation of an Australian bill of rights?
Is there anyone who is willing to put hand on heart, with a straight face and say “I trust my government?”
This has been Greens policy for 30+ years
Hang on a minute – the first paragraph seems to contradict the title!
“The ‘pleasant fiction’ of a rules-based order has been blown apart. It’s time for Australia to codify a bill of rights”,
then:
“What’s happening on American streets **makes clear that a charter of rights does not prevent state overreach**.”
My emphasis. Ms Schultz, please make up your mind. Either a bill of rights works, or it doesn’t.
Thank Dog we are all equal under the law here in Australia!
There is that small matter of Robodebt, but we have all forgotten about that anyway, so on we merrily go!
App your basic rights should’ve explicitly in the constitution so when they’re infringed you can go to a court and seek redress. Otherwise your rights, such as they are, are at the whim of whoever is in government and that can change from year to year . A government isn’t even guaranteed to last a full election cycle
A bill of rights is only as good as the institutions that uphold them and the people to care about it enough to uphold them.
And if you get to that point that the care is enough, I’d argue the bill of rights is just niceties rather than a requirement.