Alternative Law Journal

I had a mixed response to reading Sarah Maddison’s recent work Beyond White Guilt. Maddison, I believe, is accurate to depict the issue of Indigenous – non-Indigenous relations as crucial for Australia. Indeed, the nation and state are intimately tied to a colonial history embedded in whiteness and the denial of Indigenous sovereignty. Personally, I am not sure that white guilt is the biggest challenge. However, I do agree that this is an important issue worthy of Maddison’s keen analysis and she successfully hinges her argument around an examination of this issue. At times, I did feel that I was reading with a sense of de je vu, in that many of the issues covered have been written about and debated widely in Australia. Indeed, Henry Reynolds and others have written extensively in the area of colonial history and past policies leading to contemporary implications for Indigenous people and all who reside in the country called Australia. In this sense, the book is not difficult to read, because the arguments are familiar, thereby allowing the author to provide an appraisal of their contemporary form and to give a unique twist.

As of 1 January 2012, a new law relating to the display, sale and supply of bongs and hookahs shall come into force in Victoria which heralds substantial changes to the previous law.

The Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Act 1981 will be amended by the Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Prohibition of Display and Sale of Cannabis Water Pipes) Act 2011.

Domestic violence in Australia

The picture of domestic violence in Australia is stark and compelling. Approximately 1.2 million women have experienced violence at the hands of a (usually male) current or former partner.¹ Responses have understandably and necessarily focused on reducing the prevalence of male violence against women.²

It is important to remember, however, that domestic violence knows no boundaries. It can occur in all relationships, regardless of the sex, sexual orientation or sex or gender identity of the persons involved. Research suggests, for example, that domestic violence occurs at a similar rate in same sex relationships as in heterosexual relationships.³

One small step…

Allowing women in Saudi Arabia to vote in municipal elections from 2015 is a small step forward, however Saudi women have a long way to go before their basic human rights are recognised and protected by law. As Ida Lichter notes (The Australian, 12 October 2011) they legally are unable to drive a car or have a coffee in public with a male. A Saudi woman has recently been sentenced to 10 lashes for driving and only a Royal edict reversed this sentence. King Abdullah has introduced some reforms including that Saudi women can travel abroad and stay in hotels without the permission of a male guardian provided the local police are informed. Some women have also been admitted to educational institutions and have roles in government.