Post by Law Council of Australia

The Law Council of Australia exists to uphold the rule of law and to promote confidence in Australia’s legal system. That role is inseparable from the values that underpin a cohesive democratic society, including equality before the law, mutual respect and shared civic life. Racism, hatred, intolerance or extremist ideologies have no place in Australia and stand in direct opposition to the principles that underpin our legal system and our profession. The Law Council of Australia, as the national representative body of the Australian legal profession, is deeply concerned by the significant rise in antisemitism in Australia and the damaging effect this has had on community safety, social cohesion and trust in public institutions. The horrific terror attack targeted at the Jewish community at Bondi has brought into sharp focus the consequences of hatred and radicalisation. It also underscores the need to examine the adequacy of existing responses and for a nationally coordinated response to match the seriousness of the challenge. Public confidence in Australia’s legal system depends on the law operating effectively to protect all members of the community from harm, intimidation and violence. When any group is targeted on the basis of identity or belief, the legitimacy of the legal system as a whole is undermined. In the Law Council’s view, the nature and scale of the issues exposed by the Bondi terror attack require and justify the establishment of a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism in Australia and the events leading up to that attack. While the tragedy occurred in one State, the factors that shape the spread of extremist ideology, pathways to radicalisation, and the effectiveness of preventative frameworks operate across jurisdictional boundaries and engage significant Commonwealth responsibilities. These are Federal and Commonwealth matters. Matters including national security coordination, intelligence-sharing arrangements, communications and online regulation, hate speech legislation and counter-terrorism laws require examination at a Federal level and in a way that considers how legal and institutional systems operate together across Australia. Jurisdictionally limited inquiries cannot provide a complete or coherent account of these interconnected systems. Read the full media release on the Law Council website 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gef7PMrk #antisemitism #Bonditerrorattack #auslaw