Turning the Spotlight on ‘Offensiveness' as a Basis for Criminal Liability

See Quilter Julia McNamara Luke , Time to define “the cornerstone of public order legislation”: The elements of offensive conduct and language under the Summary Offences Act 1988 (NSW)' (2013) 36 University of New South Wales Law Journal 534, 535, n 3.

NSW Law Reform Commission (‘NSWLRC’), Penalty Notices, Report No 132 (2012).

Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, cl 17(1).

Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, Parliament of Australia, Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 (2013).

Alexander Harriet , ‘Backlash puts end to Roxon bill clause’, Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney), 1 February 2013, 6.

Wong MP Penny Dreyfus Mark QC MP, ‘New Anti-Discrimination Laws to Cover Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status’ (Joint Media Release, 20 March 2013).

See, eg, Brandis George , ‘Section 18C has no place in a society that values freedom of expression’ The Australian (online), 30 September 2011 <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/section-18c-has-no-place-in-a-society-that-values-freedom-of-expression/story-e6frgd0x-1226152196836>.

Eatock v Bolt (2011) 197 FCR 261, [2]. See Joseph Sarah , ‘Free Speech, Racial Intolerance and the Right to Offend’ (2011) 26(4) Alternative Law Journal 225; Gelber Kath McNamara Luke , ‘“The Bolt Case” and its Aftermath: Freedom of Speech and Racial Vilification in Public Discourse in Australia’ (2013) 48 Australian Journal of Political Science 470.

Abbott MP Tony , ‘Freedom Wars’ (Speech delivered at the Institute of Public Affairs, Sydney, 6 August 2012) <http://resources.news.com.au/fles/2012/08/06/1226443/820701-aus-na-file-abbott-speech.pdf>.

Waldron Jeremy , The Harm in Hate Speech (Harvard University Press, 2012), 106.

Spigelman James , ‘Hate speech and free speech: Drawing the line’ (Human Rights Oration, Australian Human Rights Commission, 10 December 2012) <https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/human-rights-day-oration-delivered-honourable-james-spigelman-ac-qc>.

On the aftermath of the Bolt decision, see Gelber McNamara , above n 8.

See generally, Lennan Joanne , ‘The development of offensive language laws in nineteenth-century New South Wales’ (2007) 18 Current Issues in Criminal Justice 449.

See Quilter McNamara , above n 1, 553.

(2004) 220 CLR 1.

Under what was then (now repealed) s 7(1)(d) of the Vagrants, Gaming and Other Offences Act 1931 (Qld).

Coleman v Power (2004) 220 CLR 1, [193] (Gummow and Hayne JJ).

[2011] NZSC 45.

Monis v The Queen; Droudis v The Queen (2013) 295 ALR 359.

Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) s 471.12.

Monis v The Queen; Droudis v The Queen (2013) 295 ALR 359, [57].

Ibid [327], [338].

Ibid [74] per French CJ.

Ibid [353].

Judiciary Act 1902 (Cth) s 23.

See Quilter McNamara , above n 1, 536. See also NSW Ombudsman, Review of the Impact of Criminal Infringement Notices on Aboriginal Communities Report (2009).

See Quilter McNamara , above n 1, 543.

Inglis v Fish [1961] VR 607, 611 (Pape J). See Quilter McNamara , above n 1, 553–54.

NSWLRC, above n 2, 298.

Ibid 300.

ABC Television, ‘Cop It Sweet’, 1992 (Jenny Brockie).

NSWLRC, above n 2, 299–300.

On the operation of offensive conduct and language laws in NSW, see Quilter McNamara , above n 1, 542–47.

NSWLRC, above n 2, 301.

See Jochelson Robert , ‘Aborigines and Public Order Legislation in New South Wales’, NSW BOCSAR, Crime and Justice Bulletin No 34 (1997).

NSW Anti-Discrimination Board, Study of Street Offences by Aborigines (1982).

NSW Ombudsman, above n 26, 71.

NSWLRC, above n 2, 308.

The Commission did not consider it appropriate to make a formal recommendation for abolition because this option had not been canvassed by the Commission during the consultation process: ibid 311.

Ibid and see recommendation 10.3.

See, eg, Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW) s 197.

See, eg, Brown David , Criminal Laws: Materials and Commentary on Criminal Law and Process of New South Wales (Federation Press, 5th ed, 2011), 122; Crime and Misconduct Commission, Queensland, Police move-on powers: A CMC review of their use (2010).