High Court declares Excision Zone to be "Terra Nullius"
Media Release
Thursday November 11, 2010 7:30am WST
For immediate Release
No Embargoes
"The confident High Court decision this morning in favour of M61 and M69 has in effect finally declared that the ghastly
legislation by the Howard government to cut off more than 4,600 islands from the reach of refugee court justice is
invalid," WA Human Rights group Project SafeCom said this morning.
"This is terrific news for thousands of asylum seekers, but it will only be terrific if Gillard Labor has the guts to be
honest about its consequences, and if it will act with courage and decency in the face of the multitude of howls and
screams that no doubt will start emanating from the nasty ghouls in parliament such as opposition immigration spokesman
Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott, who have no soul and no heart about refugees and asylum seekers," spokesman Jack H Smit
said.
"The implications for the intricate web of immigration regulations pertaining to the processing are enormous, and now we
can start tearing up the vile discrimination instruments that kept the courts away from those arriving in Australia by
boat."
"Since 2001 saw the introduction of what former immigration minister Phillip Ruddock proudly called his 'suite of
measures' Labor has been too weak-kneed to keep its promises to undo the excision zone and to deliver refugee justice
and the decency of the Australian courts to those who arrive by boat. Now the High Court has made that decision for
Labor and for all Australians."
"Now we need guts, honesty and full courage from Gillard Labor to take all the constructs around excision and offshore
processing apart. Nothing less than a full Bonfire of Howard's Vanities will do the trick," Mr Smit concluded.
ENDS