Abstract

In Australia, the domestic ‘War on Terror’ has been waged through a multitude of laws with at least 26 separate pieces of anti-terrorism laws passed since the September 11 attacks.1 More disturbing than the pace of legislative enactment is the character of the laws passed. These laws mean that Australian security and police agencies now have the power to detain without trial. Broad discretion has also been conferred upon the government to ban so-called ‘terrorist organisations’. These laws also cloak the operations of police and security organisations with greater secrecy, criminalise speech and heighten the risk of political and religious persecution. It is these features of the ‘War on Terror’ that particularly threaten academic freedom in Australia.