High Court urged to scrap Tas protest laws

Source – au.news.yahoo.com

The landmark case, which is due to begin in Canberra on Tuesday, stems from Dr Brown’s arrest while filming a video about an anti-logging protest at Lapoinya State Forest in Tasmania’s northwest in January 2016.

While police have dropped criminal charges against Dr Brown, he wants the High Court to overturn Tasmanian laws targeting protesters who can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for four years.

The Human Rights Law Centre has filed submissions to the court supporting Dr Brown’s case, arguing Tasmania’s laws are intended to shut down vital debate and prioritise business interests above the rights of protesters.

“This case is important because it gives the High Court the chance to determine the extent to which Australians’ speech and protest rights are protected under the Australian Constitution,” the centre’s legal advocacy director Emily Howie said in a statement on Monday.