Noted constitutional law expert Professor George Williams has described the Tasmanian Liberals’ anti-protest legislation as “...on quite shaky constitutional ground”.
“It is no surprise at all that Professor Williams has raised doubts whether Will Hodgman’s draconian laws would survive a high court challenge, because this is some of the most radical legislation the Tasmanian parliament has seen for some time," Greens Justice spokesperson Nick McKim MP said.
“These laws go far beyond what most people would regard as reasonable. There is a strong argument that they would catch farmers protesting on their own land against fracking, or a boat blockade against a supertrawler.”
“They are unreasonable in the extreme. Mr Hodgman is trying to crack a walnut with a sledgehammer, and is looking more and more like a Tasmanian version of Joh Bjelke Peterson.”
“Professor Williams has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons today, and Mr Hodgman must now come clean on whether or not his government sought legal advice from the Solicitor General before these laws were tabled in the parliament.”