The historical record shows that no party has a monopoly on human rights reform. It also shows that every government has, at some point, deserved criticism for breaching human rights, argues George Williams.
Giving cabinet documents to a royal commission creates a precedent that could do long-term harm to our system of government and create a cycle of tit-for-tat inquiries at enormous cost to the taxpayer, writes George Williams.
Royal commissions are shaped as much by the person who runs them as by the powers they wield, and the man named to lead the investigation into Australia's trade unions is a brilliant lawyer with a strong streak of independence, writes George Williams.
Australia's low key response to the judicial crisis in Nauru is untenable and could mean that asylum seekers will not have access to an independent justice system, writes George Williams.
The High Court's decision to strike down Premier Barry O'Farrell's political finance reforms comes as no surprise. What was unexpected was how the court reached this result, writes George Williams.
While the ACT lost this battle, the High Court's decision makes it clear the Australian constitution allows marriage to change over time to include people of the same sex, writes George Williams.
Zoe's law needs to be accompanied by an overdue decriminalisation of abortion in NSW, where a woman can be jailed for up to 10 years if she "unlawfully" terminates her pregnancy, writes George Williams.
There is a clear need for federal reform. The starting point must be recognition of how much Australia has to gain from a system that fosters competition and diversity, rather than mere national control, writes George Williams.
It is time for us to take the steps that would finally unite us as one people and recognise that true reconciliation with Aboriginal Australians requires a treaty, argues George Williams.
Before the next federal poll, we must take a hard look at the basic features of our voting system, including the viability of casting electronic votes, writes George Williams.
