Founded in 1963, the charter of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties is to protect the equal rights of all citizens (as long as they don’t infringe the rights and freedoms of others) and oppose all or any abuse or excessive power by the State against its people.
The Council for Civil Liberties has a committee elected by volunteers whose primary role is to influence public debate and government policy on a range of human rights issues. The goal of the Council is to secure amendments to laws, or changes in policy, where civil liberties are not being fully respected.
Another role of the Council is to listen to individual complaints and, through volunteer efforts, help members of the public with civil liberties problems. The Council prepares submissions to government, conducts court cases defending infringements of civil liberties, engages regularly in public debates, produces publications, and conducts many other activities.
Current issues range from the bill of rights, the death penalty, prisoners issues, free speech, sniffer dogs, double jeopardy, freedom of information, the right to protest, ATSI (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders) rights, asylum seekers, drug reform and privacy.
In a recent speech to the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, High Court Justice Michael Kirby delivered an important reminder to all civil libertarians:
"Let there be no doubt that real terrorists are the enemies of civil liberties...
"Nevertheless...we must also recognise...the need to draw a distinction between 'terrorists' and those who are simply objecting to injustice as they see it. In his day, Mahatma Gandhi was certainly called a terrorist. So was Nelson Mandela...
"[We must also recognise] that, in responding to violent antagonists, democratic communities must do so in a way, as far as possible, consistent with the defence of civil liberties."