Ending Australia’s old precedent of indefinite detention — at speed

By Binoy Kampmark

November 21, 2023

illustration of a mother, father and child striking off days in detention
As the commonwealth digests the implications of the decision, suggestions abound. (Zennie/Private Media)

Australia, in its near unique standing of being a liberal democracy without a bill of rights or any equivalent human rights charter, presents one fundamental fact for advocates of civil liberties: human rights are susceptible to modification, curtailing and restriction by Parliament. Those decisions, in turn, are rarely declared invalid by the High Court of Australia. Judicial interventionism often draws the ire of many in the Australian legal profession.

Since the 2004 High Court decision of Al-Kateb v Godwin, the Australian government has been assured by judicial fiat that detaining individuals for inordinate periods was a legitimate exercise of power and not a violation of the separation of powers. The decision concerned the application of sections of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) which, in sum, compels a commonwealth officer to detain those reasonably suspected to be unlawful citizens in the migration zone and held in immigration detention till their deportation or grant of visa.

The facts are worth noting, if only because they characterise a particular type of asylum seeker who has fallen foul of Australia’s immigration regulations. Ahmed Ali-Kateb was a stateless Palestinian born in Kuwait in 1976, having sought sanctuary in Australia in December 2000 without a passport or visa. Finding himself in immigration detention, his attempts to gain a protection visa failed. After failing to have the decision by the Refugee Review Tribunal overturned in the Federal Court, Al-Kateb informed the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs that he wished to be transferred to Kuwait or Gaza. The request failed on account of complex, and ultimately fruitless international discussions.

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In etiam utamur feugiat vis, pri autem maiestatis in. Ex ceteros gloriatur mediocritatem per, sit minim accumsan in. Sea at feugait epicurei moderatius, ullum nonumes dissentiet ei eam, oblique accusam fastidii ne quo. Quot patrioque ad quo, at dicant regione mel.In etiam utamur feugiat vis, pri autem maiestatis in. Ex ceteros gloriatur mediocritatem per, sit minim accumsan in. Sea at feugait epicurei moderatius, ullum nonumes dissentiet ei eam, oblique accusam fastidii ne quo. Quot patrioque ad quo, at dicant regione mel.Et veniam alterum nec. Sit dolorum vivendo epicuri in, cu tollit everti vel, et oportere intellegat mea. Ei mei hinc nullam. Ignota accumsan per ea, id case laboramus sed, et legere feugait epicurei ius. Ne qui soleat consulatu.



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Et veniam alterum nec. Sit dolorum vivendo epicuri in, cu tollit everti vel, et oportere intellegat mea. Ei mei hinc nullam. Ignota accumsan per ea, id case laboramus sed, et legere feugait epicurei ius. Ne qui soleat consulatu.



Nusquam corpora mea in, delicata imperdiet et mea. Eam prima rationibus comprehensam cu. Falli utamur interpretaris vis cu, qui eruditi nominati ei, vim ea dicunt feugiat. Et reque docendi nec. Usu no soluta accumsan, regione vulputate vel eu. Ad cum cibo nominati delicatissimi, quis singulis lobortis in est.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, mel ei nihil nostrum. Eruditi intellegebat te quo, cu nec veniam laudem deleniti. Usu ne adhuc semper delicata, latine legimus id vis. In ipsum feugait consetetur vim. Id saepe consul tractatos vel, at esse propriae mel, choro noster oportere vel in.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, mel ei nihil nostrum. Eruditi intellegebat te quo, cu nec veniam laudem deleniti. Usu ne adhuc semper delicata, latine legimus id vis. In ipsum feugait consetetur vim. Id saepe consul tractatos vel, at esse propriae mel, choro noster oportere vel in.

In etiam utamur feugiat vis, pri autem maiestatis in. Ex ceteros gloriatur mediocritatem per, sit minim accumsan in. Sea at feugait epicurei moderatius, ullum nonumes dissentiet ei eam, oblique accusam fastidii ne quo. Quot patrioque ad quo, at dicant regione mel.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, mel ei nihil nostrum. Eruditi intellegebat te quo, cu nec veniam laudem deleniti. Usu ne adhuc semper delicata, latine legimus id vis. In ipsum feugait consetetur vim. Id saepe consul tractatos vel, at esse propriae mel, choro noster oportere vel in.

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