Laws change in response to terror threat

The Sydney siege in December 2014 has resulted in ordinary citizens facing limits on their freedoms as governments respond to the terrorism threat.

In the aftermath of the Sydney siege then-prime minister Tony Abbott warned that Australians would have to accept a redrawing of the line between personal freedoms and keeping the community safe.

The federal and NSW governments have since introduced several new laws or amended existing legislation, some of which was in direct response to the siege at the Lindt Cafe in Sydney last December when two hostages and gunman Man Haron Monis were killed.

Other laws were already in the works as the government sought to strengthen its national security architecture in response to the growing threat from terrorism.

"Precisely where we draw the line in the era of terrorism will need to be reconsidered," Mr Abbott said in February.

Despite facing serious criminal charges, Monis was allowed to remain at large, Mr Abbott said at the time, adding that the community had been let down by the system.

"Plainly, this monster should not have been in our community," he said.

"He shouldn't have been allowed into the country. He shouldn't have been out on bail."

A day later, at the Australian Federal Police headquarters in Canberra, Mr Abbott delivered a National Security Statement in which he outlined changes to laws that meant Australian-born citizens involved in terrorism could be stripped of some of their rights, and announced the creation of a National Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator.

In August NSW Premier Mike Baird unveiled part of his government's response to the siege, announcing changes to state bail and firearms laws.

Under the changes to bail laws, a person would be refused bail if the person had been the subject of a terrorism control order, was fighting a terrorism charge, or had any previous convictions for terrorist offences, unless exceptional circumstances could be demonstrated.

"Nothing can change that day, but what we can do is learn from that day," Mr Baird said.

In November NSW Police Acting Police Commissioner Nick Kaldas said officers were being trained to shoot armed attackers rather than "contain and negotiate in violent incidents".

Another tranche of national security legislation - the fifth episode since July 2014 - was introduced into the federal parliament last month.

It included new measures to counter the terror threat, including amendments to the control order regime so that they could apply to persons 14 years and older, and the creation of the new offence of advocacy of genocide.

Laws that allow for dual nationals to be stripped of their Australian citizenship for terrorism-related activity passed the parliament on December 2.


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Source: AAP



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