Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill
Letter to the Attorney-General:
The Law Society Northern Territory (the Society) is calling on you to provide bipartisan support to the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill (Bill) currently before Parliament.
The Northern Territory is the only Australian jurisdiction without vilification laws. The Territory has a diverse demographic and as such the Society considers that Parliament should demonstrate its commitment to the diverse cultural, religious and ethnic communities that make up our multi-cultural society.
Vilification in the Territory is alive and well and the Society considers it vital that there are strong and effective protections against racial and religious vilification. It is also important that the Territory is seen to have local solutions to local problems.
The Society strongly supports the intent behind this Bill especially given the public discourse surrounding terrorism at this time. The Society thinks that bipartisan support for the proposed amendments would send a clear message to the community that vilification is not acceptable in our community.
We would be happy to consult with you regarding the impact of the proposed Bill and to further articulate the reasons why the Society considers that vilification laws should be enacted in the Northern Territory.