[Greens-Media] Media release: Parliament supports Guantanamo-style laws

[David Shoebridge]

Parliament supports Guantanamo-style laws



The NSW Coalition and Labor parties joined together today to pass "investigative detention" laws which allow children as young as 14 interrogated for days in police custody without being charged with an offence and without any rights to be brought before a court.



Greens MP Justice and Local Government spokesperson David Shoebridge said:



"Investigative detention is a legal limbo where people can be denied access to their families or a lawyer, and where there is no requirement for a charge to be made against them.



"The idea that 14 year olds, who have not been charged with any offence, could be subject to up to two weeks of intensive police questioning without contact with their families or a lawyer is utterly obscene.



"The Greens moved amendments that would have limited questioning to 17 hours in any 24 hour period but even this minor safeguard was rejected by the Government.



"What Police Commissioner Scipione wanted was a law that allowed was a law that allowed police to decide how long suspects can be questioned for.



"In NSW whatever the police want, Mike Baird and the Labor opposition meekly give them.



"These laws will see people imprisoned and interrogated based on secret hearsay evidence and unverified police reports in an unprecedented expansion of police powers.



"It is no exaggeration to say that NSW is putting in place a legal structure that will allow it to become a police state.



"This Government is using the spectre of terrorism to expand police powers at an unprecedented level and with no evidence that more powers will actually prevent attacks," Mr Shoebridge said.



Media Contact David Shoebridge 0408 113 952



Kym Chapple

Policy | Communications | Legislation

Office of Greens MP David Shoebridge

P: (02) 9230 3030|M: 0433 680 244

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