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Kate Chetty Thesis THE SECTION 51(VI) DEFENCE POWER IN THE AUSTRALIAN CONSTITUTION: THREATS TO HUMAN RIGHTS DURING THE ‘WAR ON TERROR’ AND SUGGESTED REMEDIES A thesis submitted to Charles Sturt University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Kate Chetty B Comm (Advert&Mkt) (UCan); LLB (Hons) (UCan); LLM (UCan); GradDip (Leg Prac) (ANU) August 2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of Authorship ........................................................................................................... 5 Acknowledgments...................................................................................................................... 6 Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 9 I The Limited Protection of Human Rights in Australia .................................................. 13 A Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 13 B Legislative Power of the Commonwealth Parliament and Limited Rights Protection in the Australian Constitution ............................................................................................................ 14 1 Requirement for Legislation to be within a Head of Power and Procedurally Valid .... 15 2 Consistency with Limited Express and Implied Constitutional Rights ......................... 18 C Rights Protection through the Separation of Judicial Power .................................................... 26 1 Rationale for Judicial Independence ............................................................................. 26 2 The Two Elements of Judicial Power ............................................................................ 28 (a) Exclusive Power to Exercise Judicial Functions ................................................... 29 (b) Restrictions on Courts Exercising Non-Judicial Functions ................................... 31 3 Due Process and Executive Detention ........................................................................... 34 D Section 75(v) of the Constitution and Judicial Review of Executive Decisions ....................... 42 1 Section 75(v) of the Constitution and Jurisdictional Error ............................................ 42 2 ‘Unreasonableness’ as a Ground of Substantive Review .............................................. 48 3 Privative Clauses ........................................................................................................... 53 F Rights Protection through the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 (Cth) .......... 57 1 Key Elements of the Legislation ................................................................................... 58 2 The Effect of the Momcilovic Case .............................................................................. 59 G Concluding Remarks regarding Human Rights Protection in Australia ................................... 62 II The Elasticity of the Defence Power and its Effect on Human Rights Prior to September 11, 2001 .......................................................................................................................... 64 A Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 64 B The Defence Power of the Commonwealth .............................................................................. 65 1 Source of the Commonwealth’s Defence Power ........................................................... 66 2 Interpreting the Defence Power as a Constitutional Head of Power ............................. 68 (a) Principles of Interpretation of the Defence Power Compared to Non-Purposive Constitutional Heads of Power ............................................................................. 69 (b) Extrinsic Material and Policy Considerations ....................................................... 78 C Interpretation of the Defence Power during Peacetime ............................................................ 82 D Interpretation of the Defence Power during Periods of Increasing International Tension ........ 85 E Interpretation of the Defence Power during Wartime .............................................................. 92 1 The World War I Cases ................................................................................................. 93 2 The World War II Cases ................................................................................................ 99 2 F Interpretation of the Defence Power in the Aftermath of War / Transition to Peace .............. 106 G Concluding Remarks regarding the Interpretation of the Defence Power .............................. 111 III The Effect of the War on Terror and the Introduction of the Anti-Terrorism Legislation Following September 11, 2001..................................................................................... 113 A Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 113 B Terrorism Offences under the Criminal Code ........................................................................ 115 1 Offences by Individuals .............................................................................................. 116 2 Offences Relating to Terrorist Organisations .............................................................. 119 3 Response of the Judiciary ............................................................................................ 124 C Control Orders under the Criminal Code ............................................................................... 127 1 Issue of Interim and Confirmed Control Orders .......................................................... 128 2 Conditions of Control Orders ...................................................................................... 132 3 Thomas v Mowbray ..................................................................................................... 134 D Detention Orders .................................................................................................................... 140 1 Preventative Detention Orders under the Criminal Code ............................................ 141 (a) Issue of Initial and Continued Preventative Detention Orders ............................ 141 (b) Restrictions on Contact and Rights of Detainees ................................................ 144 (c) Issuing Authority ................................................................................................ 147 2 Detention and Questioning under the ASIO Act .......................................................... 150 (a) Issue of Questioning Warrants and Questioning and Detention Warrants .......... 150 (b) Restrictions on Contact and Rights of Detainees ................................................ 154 (c) Issuing Authority and Prescribed Authority ....................................................... 157 E Special Trial Procedures under the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004 (Cth) .................................................................................................. 158 1 Purpose and Key Definitions ....................................................................................... 159 2 Federal Criminal Proceedings ..................................................................................... 160 3 Civil Proceedings ........................................................................................................ 165 F Concluding Remarks regarding the Anti-Terrorism Legislation ........................................... 166 IV The Need for Greater Protection of Human Rights in Australia .................................. 168 A Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 168 B Future Threats to Human Rights if the Parliament is left Unrestrained .................................. 169 1 Risks Posed by the Defence Power ............................................................................. 169 2 The Anti-Terrorism Legislation and Deficiencies in Human Rights Protection ......... 172 C Striking a Balance in the War on Terror ................................................................................. 176 D Concluding Remarks regarding the Need for Greater Protection ........................................... 179 V Models for Achieving Effective Human Rights Protection: A Modified Proportionality Test ............................................................................................................................... 182 A Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 182 B Proportionality in Other Jurisdictions ..................................................................................... 183 1 Canada and the R v Oakes Test ................................................................................... 183 2 The Limitations Clause in the South African Bill of Rights ....................................... 186 3 Proportionality in Human Rights Cases in the United Kingdom ................................ 190 3 C Argument for a Modified
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