Send a letter to Nguyen Tuong Van

Letter to PM Howard from Stuart Highway in Berrimah jail Darwin re Nguyen Tuong Van on death row in Changi Prison Singapore.

As an example now please consider writing a card to the prisoner from Melbourne awaiting murder by the Singapore State. Thanks.

Condemned Prisoner C856 Nguyen Tuong Van Cluster Registry, Changi Prison 982 Upper Changi Road Singapore 507709.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Letter to PM re: Nguyen Tuong Van

Written by Stuart Highway in Darwin Prison on Friday the 11th November 2005

Dear Prime Minister

I am writing to you in this eleventh hour in the hope that you will intervene to save the life of Australian citizen Nguyen Tuong Van.

As Prime Minister of Australia you are in a position of power to influence the Singapore Government to stay his execution.

Australia and Singapore are allies and have strong military and trade links. You could use these to work out a deal whereby Nguyen Tuong Van could be brought home to serve out a life sentence in Melbourne, close to his family.

The death penalty is abhorrent. I once read of an American boy of 16 or so who murdered both his parents after a fierce argument on a camping trip. It was probably his youth that saved him from the death penalty. After serving years in prison he was released and studied medicine. He became a doctor. He devoted the rest of his life to helping the underprivileged and disadvantaged. He became a model citizen.

Similarly, I believe Nguyen Tuong Van deserves to live.

Please consider this option.

Yours Sincerely

Stuart Highway

Letter to Nguyen Tuong Van

Written by Stuart Highway in Darwin Prison on Thursday the 10th November 2005

Dear Nguyen Tuong Van

I am a member of a Darwin-based drug law reform organisation called Network Against Prohibition. Since March 2002 we have been campaigning for the repeal of all laws against drugs.

Our goal is the re-legalisation of all drugs which are currently illicit, in order to reduce to a minimum drug-related harm in communities worldwide. We believe that far more harm is done to drug users and society in general by the drug laws than by the drugs themselves.

I am currently serving a 3 month sentence for a conviction of Unlawfully Damage Property as a result of damage done to police vehicles at one of our community rallies in Darwin in October 2002.

I have seen the media coverage of the campaign to save you from execution and seen your mother plead for your life to be spared.

I feel that the intervention of powerful figures such as John Howard could result in you being brought back home to serve a life sentence in Melbourne, leaving the way open for other options. However, the political will has been lacking.

Therefore, I'm going to write to John Howard asking him to make further, more serious representations to the Singapore Government on your behalf. As you are an Australian citizen that's the least he could do.

As well, I extend a hand of solidarity, as one prisoner of the war on drugs (POWD) to another, through the bars and across the sea.

Solidarity, brother.

Stuart Highway

You can send messages of solidarity and support to Nguyen Tuong Van at the following address:

Condemned Prisoner C856 Nguyen Tuong Van
Cluster Registry, Changi Prison
982 Upper Changi Road
Singapore 507709
NAPT.org

By Napatista posted 21 November 05

Related:

Please show clemency
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SINGAPORE TO EXECUTE AUSTRALIAN MAN SOON
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Exporting the death penalty - Bali 9
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THE DEATH PENALTY - WORLDWIDE
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Death penalty-free zone in Europe and Central Asia
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LIFE ON A THREAD:
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Despite Drop in Crime, an Increase in Inmates
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THE LAW IS AN ASS:
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SAVE THE LIFE OF NGUYEN TUONG VAN:A PLEA TO SINGAPORE PRESIDENT On behalf of the Australian Coalition Against Death Penalty (ACADP) and in the spirit of respect for human life, I make a heartfelt plea for clemency, compassion and mercy, to spare and save the young life of Nguyen Tuong Van, currently under sentence of death at Changi Prison in Singapore. Nguyen Tuong Van, is a 23-year-old Australian man of Vietnamese origin. Nguyen was arrested at Changi Airport in December 2002, whilst in transit from Cambodia to Australia. He was later charged and convicted of drug-trafficking. In March 2004 he was sentenced to death for his crime.

EXTRADITION ACT FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET
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BIRTHDAY PROTEST BACKS INNOCENT MAN ON DEATH ROW:
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Here come de Judge - Time to Leave [266]
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Expert baffled by Falconio evidence DNA contamination

DNA evidence from handcuffs allegedly used on Joanne Lees was contaminated.

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Peter Thatcher was called to testify after the court heard his DNA was found on hand restraints that allegedly bound the wrists of Peter Falconio's girlfriend, Joanne Lees.

Dr Thatcher said he did not know how it got there and that, in line with protocol, he believed he was wearing gloves when he handled the ties. [What about monkey business?]

He told the court his DNA could have been transferred by a sneeze or dandruff. [What about a fart?]

The court also heard swabs taken from the back of the couple's Kombi van were not tested for gunshot residue because there was no evidence of a gun being used or a cartridge being found at the crime scene.

Murdoch has pleaded not guilty to killing Mr Falconio and assaulting Joanne Lees in July 2001.

By Amanda Morgan posted 17 November 05

Corrupt police planting DNA evidence at crime scenes

Others have raised concerns about corrupt police planting DNA evidence at crime scenes.

Military lawyers await probe on DNA tampering

The Army's Criminal Investigation Command said nearly 500 forensic test results from all services dating back 10 years are under review after one of its examiners allegedly faked results. About 119 of those cases pertain to the Navy and Marine Corps.

[You see DNA evidence can be tampered with.]

Murder charge first for DNA data bank link, but not the same as solving the murder

As long as the the prisoners DNA wasn't planted at the crime scene. It is one thing to force prisoners to hand over their DNA and another thing to exploit it.

Related:

Military lawyers await probe on DNA tampering
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Corrupt police planting DNA evidence at crime scenes
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Outback DNA evidence 'contaminated'
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Trial of B J Murdoch
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Unfaithful Lees admits taking drugs, court told
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Murdoch: Ambushed by Prosecution
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Day set aside for Falconio forensic evidence
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Ch/9 News? Or Ch/9's Department of Public Prosecutions?
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Tourist dollar drives set-up for crime
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Supreme Court rejects Nine appeal
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Falconio magistrate closes court
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Taken "A Dingo Took My Baby!"
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Australia to see the light on tourism
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Ten reports $76.9 million profit
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DNA Links:

Corrupt police planting DNA evidence at crime scenes
Others have raised concerns about corrupt police planting DNA evidence at crime scenes.

The ABC for good or evil?
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First Grabs To Control Our DNA
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Worries over DNA and racial profiling
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Lab's Errors Force Review of 150 Virginia DNA Cases
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Witch-hunt targets scientists
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Fresh swipe at DNA labs
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DNA leads 'CSI' cold-case squad to first arrest?
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Criminal's DNA filed under relative's name
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DNA fingerprinting 'no longer foolproof'...
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THE BUTLER DIDN'T DO IT!
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Database clears up crimes?
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A Question of Innocence
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It's a callous disregard for justice! The panel takes applications from convicted prisoners for DNA evidence to be analysed a move that may help in a future court appeal.

JUST BEAT IT! Govt lauds crime-solving technology?
The New South Wales Government says advances in crime solving technology are helping the progress of hundreds of police investigations.

DNA testing causes debate in murder case
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Abolition of double jeopardy law a political stunt: NSW Opp
Why draconian laws? What about the re-trial by media that goes along with it? Twice shy?

ARE YOU INNOCENT?
The NSW government has finally appointed somebody (Justice John Nader) to head up its Innocence Panel and has produced leaflets and forms for people convicted of serious crimes (eg murder) to apply for DNA testing if they believe it may help prove their innocence. You can get the info by phoning 1300 881 717 or writing to the panel at GPO Box 45 Sydney NSW 2001.

Is the Westminster System flawed?
Most people would say Lady Di got the boot and NSW has so much trouble getting the Innocence Panel moving. I said hey, what's going on!

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Prisoners can prove innocence for $20
Les Kennedy Daily Telegraph reported today that" Prisoners who believe that DNA will prove they were wrongly convicted will have the chance to prove their innocence for a mere $20 administration fee. The move comes 20 months after NSW inmates were asked to provide DNA for comparison with a databank of DNA from unsolved crime scenes for possible convictions.

DNA yours or mine?
Now they have isolated two genes that they say tells you if you're more likely to be depressed. What does that mean? It could mean that you should stay in jail because you are more likely than not to continue your offending behaviour according to a Department of Corrective Services Forensic Psychiatrist.

DNA = Do Not Assume - DNA Controversies!
The national DNA database of all known offenders proposed by Prime Minister Tony Blair could mean that innocent people will be accused of crimes they did not commit.

DNA Evidence of Bipartisanship
Last week the U.S. Congress passed the Justice for All Act, which includes provisions of the Innocence Protection Act. As of this posting, the legislation has not yet been signed by President Bush. Attached is an analysis of the legislation prepared by the Justice Project.

DNA - A Shadow of Doubt
One case points to misinterpretation of evidence that helped put a man behind bars. The other shows just how easy it is to plant falsely incriminating DNA evidence. As our forensic techniques become ever more sensitive, so the possibility of abuse continues to grow.

Murder charge first for DNA data bank link, but not the same as solving the murder
As long as the the prisoners DNA wasn't planted at the crime scene. It is one thing to force prisoners to hand over their DNA and another thing to exploit it.

Darwin prison riot threat alert

PRISONERS threatened to riot at Darwin jail after complaining about overcrowding and the quality of food, it was learnt yesterday.

Fifteen officers donned full riot gear including arming themselves with large gas pumps as a group of inmates sat down on the ground and refused to go to a routine muster.

The three ringleaders were whisked away to a maximum security block after a tense two-hour stand-off.

One prison source said: "There was no violence in the end but it was touch and go.

"Once a few of them get together you can have a monster.''

The prisoners are believed to have handed a letter of grievance to Darwin prison.

Trouble started at the maximum security B and C blocks on Thursday morning.

Correctional Services director Jens Tolstrup said public safety was never threatened.

"The incident was not a major disturbance,'' he said.

"All the inmates [prisoners] dispersed willingly and voluntarily and without incident.

"There was no lock-down, no violence and the rest of the prison operated as normal.

"The three inmates involved have been moved from the block into other accommodation. This is standard practice for these situations.''

The source said it was "very unusual'' for riot gear to be issued.

He said several of the prisoners had told officers they would "take the blocks out'' a euphemism for a riot.

The source said the prison was overcrowded, adding: "Everybody is hot at this time of the year and tempers fray.''

The source refused to name the ringleaders who are not serving life sentences.

He said they were well-known within the prison system but not outside.

Darwin and Alice Springs prisons each hold about 400 inmates each. Both are nearly full.

By NIGEL ADLAM 29 October 05

Related:

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Justice Action and Prison Action & Reform are not satisfied with the review and will present an independent report to Parliament in August, based upon interviews with prisoners, prison staff and concerned community members.

Prisoner total rises 15% in six years
England and Wales are continuing to jail offenders at a higher rate than any other major country in western Europe, it emerged today. New research indicates that the government's use of prison as its main tool of penal policy has increased by 15% since 1999.

Adler punished for being in prison
NSW: Sydney businessman Rodney Adler has been transferred to a higher-security prison as punishment for allegedly attempting to conduct business activities from jail even though people are sent to prison for punishment not to be punished?

Department of Corrective Services fails to rehabilitate offenders
NSW: Unpopular people will be forced to wear tracking devices at a cost of $5,000 dollars per unit because the NSW Department of Corrective Services failed to rehabilitate those offenders at a cost of $65,000 a year while they were held in custody for many years.

Parole Board Membership
NSW: The Law Society is aware that two former long standing police officers Mr Robert Inkster, an Mr Peter Walsh, were appointed to the Parole Board as Community Members for a period of three years from 17 January 2005 until 16 January 2008.

Corrected or Corrupted
A psychiatrist from the prison Mental Health Team attached to Queensland Health made the comment that 25 per cent of inmates suffer from a diagnosed mental illness.

Tasmanian prison support visit
Prisoners from Risdon Prison and Prison Action & Reform (PAR) in Tasmania have requested support from the Australian Prisoners Union and Justice Action following the siege in the prison ending on May 9.

Prison Action & Reform challenge the Attorney General
Members of Prison Action & Reform are furious with the latest lies from the Attorney General -- Judy Jackson, and demand that she produce evidence to support her ludicrous claims.

Tasmania PAR banned from Risdon
Since then, she and other PAR volunteers, have brought to the public's attention scandalous and inhumane events that have occurred in the prison - which Judy Jackson would have otherwise covered up.

Chronology of a Tasmanian Prison System: A Documented Report
We believe that the people of Tasmania - both victims of crime and the general public - have the right to know that the Tasmania Prison Service is delivering a humane and just system of containment that is conducive to the reintegration of inmates back into Tasmanian society.

Association for the Prevention of Torture
The Optional Protocol requires 20 ratifications to enter into force. All States Parties to the UN Convention against Torture should seriously consider ratifying the OPCAT as soon as possible. National Institutions and others promoting the human rights of people deprived of their liberty need to be informed of their potential role as national preventive mechanisms under the OPCAT.

PRISON ACTION & REFORM INC: Tas Prison Complaints
TASMANIA: Prison Action & Reform was formed in response to the five deaths in custody that occurred between August 1999 and January 2000. Chris Wever, Vickie Douglas, Rose Macaulay, Judith Santos and others came to together to fight for reform in an outdated, increasingly cash-strapped and uncaring system. Of the original members, three lost loved ones to the Tasmanian prison system.

MISTREATED IN CUSTODY - NO ACCOUNTABILTY
I was in custody in NSW six weeks ago, and was a victim of an aggravated assault incited by a prison officer. Despite this happening in front of many witnesses, including correctional services officers and other detainees, and under mandatory video surveillance, a formal complaint to the NSW Commissioner of Corrective Services an his Professional Conduct Management Committee only revealed that as far as they were concerned, this didn't happen.

ICOPA XI International Conference on Penal Abolition
We are excited to announce that ICOPA X1, the eleventh International Conference on Penal Abolition will happen in Tasmania, Australia from February 9 - 11,2006. Please pass this onto all networks.

Ex-Prisoner Locked Out of Prison
The NSW Department of Corrective Services (DCS) has revealed a policy which bans ex-prisoners from entering prisons.

Justice Action: Access to our community
NSW: Justice Action went to the NSW Supreme Court before the last Federal election on the constitutional right for prisoners to receive information for their vote. The government avoided the hearing by bringing prisoners' mobile polling booths forward. We pursued it after the election. This is the report.

Risdon prisoners' seize prison to protest mistreatment
Apparently one prisoner had been mistreated and held in isolation in an SHU (Segregation Housing Unit) [Solitary Confinement] because, he'd had and altercation with a screw. SHUs cause severe mental harm - regarded as torture - and are a cruel, inhumane and degrading way to keep prisoners.

No Safe Place
In a brief four month span from August 1999, five men died in Tasmania's Risdon prison. Their deaths have put the state's corrections system in the dock and led to the planned demolition of a jail which even the State's Attorney-General now calls an "appalling facility".

MORE PRISONERS LOCKDOWNS HAVE OFFICERS ON EDGE
NSW POLICE Commissioner Ken Moroney has issued an ultimatum as well, to the lawless youths holding Sydney's streets to ransom?: Learn some respect or face jail?

Tough line on crime fills jails
The tough law-and-order policies of governments around the nation are behind an explosion in the prison population by almost 80 per cent in the past two decades.

FAMILIES OF PRISONERS FORUM
14,500 children in NSW go to bed each night with a parent in prison!

LEGAL VISITS AT PARKLEA PRISON
I am a prisoner in NSW and I am currently held in Parklea Prison. I am concerned about what is going on in NSW prisons and this is my story.

Parklea Prison: No calls for six days
The last calls that were made out of Parklea Correctional Complex by my partner, an inmate in remand at Parklea, was on Wednesday 2 February. The phone lines for the inmates have been out of service to this date.

Prison visits in crisis in NSW
The reason I am writing today is to address a difficult situation that my husband and my family are going through. My husband is currently serving a sentence at Lithgow Correctional Centre in NSW.

Prison boom will prove a social bust
Hardened criminals are not filling NSW's prisons - the mentally ill and socially disadvantaged are, writes Eileen Baldry.

The prison system requires assiduous oversight
As NSW Attorney General Bob Debus noted in 1996: "The kinds of complaints which occur in the system may seem trivial to outsiders but in the superheated world of the prison, such issues can produce explosive results."

Where the Norm is Not the Norm: HARM-U
In the absence of public policy, this paper is an attempt to shine a light through the rhetoric and test for coherency in the policy and function of NSW’s only supermax prison, the High Risk Management Unit. Its present use will be compared with the ‘vision’ flogged by the Premier and the Department of Corrective Services (the Department) at its inception in 2001.

Crime and Punishment
Mark Findlay argues that the present psychological approach to prison programs is increasing the likelihood of re-offending and the threat to community safety.

People: 'Prisoners' of Drugs'
People who are addicted to heroin usually take the drug because it relieves them of problems such as low self-esteem, distrust and fear of abandonment. They may have poor communication skills & poor relationship skills.

Justice Denied In NSW Corrective Services
There used to be a (VJ) or Visiting Justice who would go into the prison and judge any claim or accusation that was made by any prisoner or prison guard. If it were found that a prisoner had offended then punishment was metered out.

Prison guards test positive for drugs
NSW prison visitors banned from using the toilet The visit is only for about one hour and any thing less than that is an insult. If it's proved that a visitor has broken the rules the punishment should apply to them. But collective punishment on all visitors should not be made general when others haven't broken the rules especially if it restricts all visitors from normal human needs like using a toilet.

NSW prison visitors banned from using the toilet
The New South Wales Government has introduced several initiatives to stop contraband getting into prisons they said last Friday. But under the guise of "stricter rules" the department had also introduced banning all visitors including children from using the toilet unless they terminate their visit at any NSW prison after using the toilet.

Watchdogs slaughtered in NSW
On Tuesday the Carr Government reduced transparency and accountability yet again and New South Wales is in danger of becoming entrenched with cronyism and intimidations with the Carr Labor Government that continues to slaughter the watchdogs.

Row brews over community store's credit system

There are claims an Aboriginal community in Darwin is on the brink of violence over a system which lets residents take goods on credit by signing over their finances to the local shop.

A former worker within the Bagot community says residents are turning against each other over the practice.

Natalie Hunter quit her job as financial counsellor inside the Bagot community in fear, she says, for her safety.

Ms Hunter says she questioned why residents' pensions were sent directly to the community shop.

She says the Bagot Community Council, the CDEP Indigenous employment scheme and Centrelink let the arrangement go on, locking people into a cycle of debt.

She says it is not clear who takes the shop profits but some locals have lashed out against those who want the practice stopped.

"One of the ladies has got a broken arm out of it and if nothing gets done there'll be family feuds going on in there," she said.

By Sorry 11 May 05

Related:

Vanstone brushes off Games threat
About 50 campaigners gathered outside the High Court in Melbourne, accusing the Commonwealth of racial discrimination.

Minister Vanstone should apologise: FAIRA, 'lazy and inept', remark The Minister has a responsibility, as a Minister of the Crown, to show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people including the elected representatives.

Vanitystone rejects nationally-elected Aboriginal group?
Fascist Indigenous Affairs Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone has rejected the findings of a Senate report that wants a new nationally-elected Indigenous body set up to replace the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

Report seeks nationally elected body to replace ATSIC
A report expected to be tabled in Federal Parliament today is set to call for the establishment of a nationally elected Indigenous body in Australia.

Govt accused of isolating Indigenous public servants
A national reconciliation group says the federal Government's main-streaming of Indigenous services into government departments will continue to isolate Aboriginal public servants.

NSW pledges to repay Indigenous wages
The New South Wales Government says it will set up a fund to repay wages and other money paid into trusts for Aboriginal people that was not passed on to them.

Vanstone defends asking Aborigines to wash for fuel
The Federal Government has defended its offer to provide a remote Indigenous community with petrol bowsers and new health programs, if it meets conditions including ensuring children shower every day.

Clark crashes Indigenous affairs ministers' meeting
Aboriginal leader Geoff Clark says he gatecrashed a meeting of federal and state Aboriginal affairs ministers today to highlight the plight of Aboriginal people.

Long says journey far from over
Michael Long has emerged from a meeting with the Prime Minister in Canberra saying it is still the beginning of his journey.

Indigenous welfare plan breach race act!!!!
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) has issued a warning about the Federal Government's plan to link Aboriginal welfare to behavioural change.

HoWARd's 'attitude' to Aboriginal welfare racist
The Federal Government says it is still considering a radical plan to rebuild the Aboriginal welfare system, which could make financial assistance dependent on behavioural change?

UN rates Indigenous health poorly
The Australian Nursing Federation says the United Nations has rated Indigenous Australians as having the second worst quality of life in the world after China.

Poverty cycle must be addressed: Ridgeway
The Democrats' Aden Ridgeway says Prime Minister John Howard should stop beating up on people who are on welfare, and focus on solving the national Indigenous unemployment rate.

"MESSAGE STICK" NEWSLETTER:
1. ATSIC abolition: the story so far. The last few months have seen both major parties buying into Indigenous Affairs in destructive and politically opportunistic ways. First the ALP and then the Government announced they would abolish ATSIC, but now the decision has been referred to a Senate Committee so the full implications of the Government's proposal can be examined. For more information on the Senate Inquiry into Indigenous Administration call 02 6277 3419 or go to:

AMA calls for extra health funding for Aborigines
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is asking for an extra $450 million a year to be spent on the health needs of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders.

Labor to request Senate inquiry into ATSIC's future
The Federal Opposition has announced it will call for a Senate inquiry into the Government's plan to abolish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

Reconciliation dreaming
Djerrkura had witnessed the collapse of ATSIC, which he led from 1996 to 1999, with sadness. Despite the peak indigenous organisation's flaws, which he did not deny, its abolition, he said, had been done in "the classic imperial fashion, without negotiation, without understanding and with little empathy".

Amnesty sees lack of progress on reconciliation
Amnesty International says the Federal Government must be held accountable for its commitments to Indigenous services.

The bone has been pointed at Howard
A Queensland Indigenous leader says an ancient Aboriginal curse placed on Prime Minister John Howard is no laughing matter and could even have deadly consequences.

Indigenous Social Justice Association Djadi Dugarang
INDIGENOUS EMPLOYMENT. Part 1

Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research: Aboriginal Crime
In 2001 more than forty percent of the Aboriginal male population aged 20-24 in NSW appeared before a NSW court charged with a criminal offence. One in ten Aboriginal males in NSW aged 20-24 received a prison sentence.

Inquiry told reforms will decimate Indigenous education
A Senate inquiry has been told the Federal Government's proposed higher education reforms will decimate education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. The National Indigenous Postgraduate Association Aboriginal Corporation says Indigenous students will be the hardest hit by increases in student fees, interest on postgraduate loans and attacks on student representation.

A Peacepipe for the European Union

Members of the Darwin-based drug law-reform group, the Network Against Prohibition (NAP), are excited about the prospect of sweeping changes to European drug laws.

Last week, drug policy activists from across Europe were offered a peacepipe to representatives of the European Union, during a Public Hearing in the European Parliament on the future of drug policies in the EU..

To share a peacepipe is a common ritual among various civilizations across the globe. The gesture is meant to create the right atmosphere for dialogue between opponents. On 21 April, representatives of the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) offered the peacepipe to European Union authorities, among them EU Commissioner of Justice Frattini, in an effort to convince them to make an end to the prohibition of drugs.

The peacepipe has been especially designed for this purpose by the German company ROOR, which distributes waterpipes used for smoking cannabis without tobacco, through the entire world. The pipe is carrying the signatures of various prominent advocates of the legalisation of drugs, such as Howard Marks, Marco Kuhn, Scott Blakey and Stivi Wolyniec.

ENCOD hopes that the hearing in the European Parliament will become an important step towards the end of drug prohibition in Europe. The organisation considers the hearing as a support for the "Catania report", a set of recommendations on drug policy that was approved by the European Parliament in December 2004.

The report, named after its draftsman, Italian MEP Giusto Catania, recognises that current policies are inadequate. It establishes health promotion as the basic principle of future drug policies, and recommends establishing concrete measures to facilitate the involvement of civil society in drug policy making.

In the draft of the new EU Action Plan, released by the European Commission in February 2005, the recommendations of the European Parliament report have been ignored completely. In the past month ENCOD has collected more than 35.000 signatures in an online petition to support the Catania report see .

According to recent figures from the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction, up to 10 % of European adult citizens (or approx. 45 million people) admit to be a "regular" user of cannabis which is still illegal throughout the Union. This means that according to current drug laws, a population is being criminalised that is larger than that of a country like Spain or Poland.

"Today we need symbols more than ever" says Howard Marks, author and entrepreneur specialised in cannabis. "A good dialogue will lead to far reaching and intelligent decisions, and as the Indians already knew, sharing the peacepipe will give us the courage to do so."

ENCOD facilitate an International Coalition of Non-Government Organisations for Just and Effective Drugs Policy, of which the Darwin-based drug law-reform organisation, the Network Against Prohibition, is a member.

NAP spokesperson for European affairs, Scott White, said: "ENCOD's secretariat and member organisations are without a doubt leading the way towards the re-legalisation of currently illicit substances. While Australia blindly follows the USA and the UK with an ancient zero tolerance approach to drugs, many countries in Europe have accepted that the 'war on drugs' cannot be won."

"The network congratulates our European comrades for their inspiring drug law-reform work."

"The Europeans are moving towards relaxing drug laws and accepting drug use as a normal course of life and to highlight that the problem of drug misuse is directly related to prohibition and poverty."

For more information on the hearing, contact Joep Oomen in Europe on 00 32 (0)3 237 7436, Scott White (NAP) on 0429 198 618, or see.

To read this media alert with links

Note for the written press:

The speech that will be delivered at the hearing in the EP by the ENCOD representative is available for publication as an editorial. Please contact us if you are interested.

International Coalition of Non-Government Organisations for Just and Effective Drugs Policy

Network Against Prohibition (Darwin, Australia)
PO Box 701 Parap NT 0804 Australia
Phone: +61 (0) 8 8942 0570 Mobile: +61 (0) 415 16 2525
Email: naphq@bigpond.net.au

By NAPNT 26 April 05

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Grandma's cooking pot
Patricia Tabram last week became a convicted drug dealer for serving casseroles and cakes laced with cannabis to her friends. But, as she tells Laura Barton, she's unrepentant - the drug has solved her health problems.

NT Courts biased, magistrate claims
NT: In an extraordinary court-room admission by a magistrate yesterday, the entire bench of Northern Territory magistrates was found to be biased against the Darwin-based drug law-reform group the Network Against Prohibition.

NT activists await Supreme Court decision
Four human rights activists facing jail for a protest in the Northern Territory Parliament now face a tense wait for an appeal decision against the conviction to be handed down by the NT Supreme Court.

Don't bash us on Saturday
Human rights activists in Darwin are concerned for their safety and the safety of the public at this week's Network Against Prohibition (NAP) Community Smoke-In for Human Rights.

Sign, sign everywhere a sign
Tracks of a different kind will be laid in the Northern Territory of Australia in September as dozens of illicit drug users converge on the city of Darwin for the 2nd Darwin International Syringe Festival.

People: 'Prisoners' of Drugs'
People who are addicted to heroin usually take the drug because it relieves them of problems such as low self-esteem, distrust and fear of abandonment. They may have poor communication skills & poor relationship skills.

Death in Custody: Douglas Bruce Scott

We congratulate Ms Letty Scott, her Family and her supporters, of which the writer counts himself and this Association as being, towards their successful twenty year struggle for Justice.

Douglas Bruce Scott was beaten to death by four gaol officers at Berrimah Gaol, Darwin in July 1995. The assault was covered up by Dr. Lee who was the pathologist at that time. Dr. Lee butchered the body of Douglas in an attempt to prevent the truth from coming out.

But the truth is coming out.

Letty was informed that she could have an exhumation of her late husband and a second autopsy performed by her own pathologist, Dr Jorge Paulete Vanell from Brazil, but only if she could pay for it. The Northern Territory Court had no intention of using State Funds to allow the truth to come to light.

Why would they when the State, police, gaol authorities and judiciary have been actively working against that truth since the Douglas' murder.

Through friends who believed in her case, Letty was able to get sufficient funding.

The second autopsy, completed recently, found that Douglas had been tortured to death and had been manually strangled and then hung to make it look like suicide.

The most chilling aspect of this sadistic murder is that the four gaol guards knew that their crime would be covered up by the Northern Territory Government and their friends in the Justice (sic) system.

And it was - for nearly 20 years. Letty and her Family, threatened, abused and accused for those twenty years, by authorities in the Northern Territory, fought on for the memory of her husband.

The road to Justice is still ongoing. Letty must now return to the Northern Territory Supreme Court before Justice Angel and have the original Coronial Inquest overturned and the case re-opened.

The road is still too long and many legal battles must yet be won to allow Justice for at least one Aboriginal Family.

Letty, we salute your heart and your spirit.

Please contact Ray Jackson (02) 9318 0947 or 0418 436 572

By ISJA posted 7 April 05

Related:

Rally to seek fresh Hickey hearings
A community rally calling for the reopening of the inquest into the death of Aboriginal teenager Thomas 'TJ' Hickey will be held at Walgett in northern New South Wales today.

Doomadgee's body released for burial
The body of a man who died in custody on Palm Island last month has been released for burial.

NSW Judge demands trial web blackout

A SUPREME Court judge has called for the internet to be purged of any material likely to prejudice a trial, to prevent jurors conducting their own investigations into cases they are sitting on.

Justice Virginia Bell, of the NSW Supreme Court, told a conference in Darwin of Supreme and Federal court judges from across the country yesterday that the ready availability of archived press reports on the internet could jeopardise the trial of an accused person.

But her call was branded "silly and unworkable" by the media union, while the internet industry said it would be impossible to police offshore sites.

Justice Bell recommended that to prevent jurors from researching cases online, Crown prosecutors in any pending case should "carry out searches on the internet and, in the event that prejudicial material is identified ... request any Australian-based website to remove it until the trial is completed".

She said prejudicial material relating to the trial of a prominent business identity had been removed from the website Crikey.com.au at the request of the NSW Supreme Court's public information officer.

Justice Bell said publication of material that had a real and definite tendency to prejudice a trial amounted to contempt of court. "The difficulty arises with material published on the internet by individuals and interest groups who may be difficult to trace or, in widely publicised cases, by the publication of prejudicial material on the internet by persons outside the jurisdiction."

A NSW study which examined 41 trials held between 1997 and 2000 found that in three cases jurors admitted to having carried out internet searches despite being instructed not to by judges.

Queensland and NSW have introduced legislation making it an offence for jurors to conduct investigations on the internet, punishable by a maximum of two years' jail.

Justice Bell said the potential for the internet to threaten the integrity of jury trials was highlighted by the promotion of CrimeNet, a national police site which published criminal histories.

After concerns were raised about CrimeNet, the site was modified so anyone searching its criminal records database must now open an account and furnish credit card details.

A subscriber must agree "not to search for details of any person whilst I am a juror in a trial of that person, in a jurisdiction that prohibits such information".

Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance federal secretary Christopher Warren said it was an attempt at censorship which highlighted a "disturbing trend" in judges' decisions.

"It's silly and it's unworkable, we've already seen in the Gutnick case how dangerous that can be for Australia," Mr Warren said. The 2002 Gutnick v Dow Jones case in the High Court established that, in law, internet articles are published where they are read.

Courts could already compel Australian ISPs to remove material from websites in Australia, Peter Coroneos, chief executive of the Internet Industry Association said. "The problem is much more difficult if someone puts up a website in Argentina," Mr Coroneos said.

By Kevin Meade and Cath Hart posted 28 January 05

Ed: I suspect that all of Justice Bell's shoes are slip-ons. Anyone who can make Chris Warren look intelligent has a few million years of evolution to catch up on.

Related:

Welcome to CrimeNet
Launched in May 2000, CrimeNet is the world's first site to provide a combined information service on criminal records, stolen property, missing persons, wanted persons, con artists and unsolved crimes.

STATE PRISON RECORDS FOR NSW
SEARCH THE INDEX TO THE GAOL PHOTOGRAPHS? SEND A POSTCARD TO A FRIEND FOR XMAS! OR JUST HANG THEM ON THE WALL AT HOME AS A TROPHY!

NAP human rights activists falsely imprisoned

The Home of Democracy? Parliament House, by the shores of Darwin Harbour.

Three members of the Darwin based Network Against Prohibition have been released from Berrimah Prison after they were falsely imprisoned on Monday night.

On the 3rd June 2003, after a sixteen-day hearing in the Darwin Magistrate's Court, the NAP activists were found guilty of 'deliberately disturbing the legislative assembly whilst it was in session'. The activists subpoenaed Chief Minister Clare Martin and other members of parliament who were forced to appear as witnesses at the hearing.

The activists received sentences ranging from fourteen to twenty-one months jail, suspended after five. They were released on bail pending an appeal against conviction and sentence.

In late August/early September, Stuart Highway, Robert Inder-Smith, Gary Meyerhoff and Michael Lambe argued their appeal. Supreme Court Justice David Angel separated the appeal against conviction from the appeal against sentence, which would be held on a later date.

On the 17th of September Justice Angel dismissed the appeal against conviction. On the 4th of October a hearing was held at the Supreme Court.

The NAP activists were not informed about the hearing. Warrants for their arrest were issued. They were not informed that warrants were issued.

Robert, Stuart, and Gary were arrested late on Monday night and taken to the Darwin Watch house where they were refused phone calls or contact with a legal representative.

From there they were taken to the Berrimah Prison to begin five-month sentences for the so-called parliament invasion.

At 6pm today, the trio were released from the prison after Magistrate Greg Cavenagh granted bail.

In a letter to the prison authorities ordering them to release the NAP crew, a staffer from the Department of Justice said 'the appeal was only part heard their bail is still valid.'

NAP activist Gary Meyerhoff said:

"We believe that our arrest was malicious and unlawful. The warrants were issued on the 4th of October and the police didn't act on them until November 1."

"It is only due to the actions of NAP members and our supporters that we have been released from prison so fast."

"On behalf of the three of us I thank everyone who offered resources, support or assistance to the NAP team during this difficult 48 hours." He said.

Hours before the arrests, the Network Against Prohibition released a press statement ridiculing the NT Police drug squad and pointing out the failure of drug prohibition in the NT.

The trio intend to commence civil litigation against the Northern Territory Government.

Meyerhoff said, "The prosecution, Michael Carey and Peter John Thomas, failed to remind Justice Angel that we still had to appeal our sentence," he said.

"They sat silently while warrants were issued for our arrest. Someone must be held accountable for this example of the ongoing harassment and intimidation NAP activists have received from the police state since we started our campaign against draconian drug laws and other human rights abuses two and a half years ago. This is not the first time Peter Thomas has misled the court."

For more information, call Gary on 0415 16 2525 or see the following link: Network Against Prohibition (NAP). 

Australia's federal, state and territory parliaments follow many of the customs and traditions handed down from the British Parliament, which has a history dating back several centuries. In the Northern Territory's Legislative Assembly there are many symbols of these traditions, as well as tangible reminders of the Territory's past.

The Home of Democracy?

Parliament House, by the shores of Darwin Harbour, is the 'home' of the Northern Territory's democratic system of government. In the building's most important room, the Chamber, the twenty-five members of our parliament meet for about thirty-three days each year.

The word 'parliament' comes from the French parliament which means 'speaking', and a great deal of that happens when the members of the parliament come together and affect all our lives by making laws and decisions about how the Territory and its people should be governed.

The official name for our parliament is the Legislative Assembly. The word 'legislative' comes from two Latin words - legis (meaning 'law') and latio ('proposing'). So, 'legislative assembly' literally means a group of people (an assembly) who propose laws. The Home of Our Democracy.

By Gary Meyerhoff and Just Us posted 5 November 04

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Research points to corporate journalists alcohol-schizophrenia link
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Fremantle police at centre of missing cannabis claims
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Don't bash us on Saturday
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Heroin: Hazy logic dictates a painful prohibition
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Port Lincoln Mayor has lost the plot!
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Sign, sign everywhere a sign
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QANTAS pooping on people?
Ten unions are involved in the campaign against the program. They say they do not oppose drug and alcohol testing to prevent and determine impairment, but they are concerned that the trial will force workers to reveal use of prescription medicines or over-the-counter drugs.

NSW Ombudsman to probe police 'move-on' powers
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Drug law blamed for hep C epidemic
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Jail trade in 'sex for favours'
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CWA wants pot legalised
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The Thai Drug Users' Network is a group of individuals who use or have used drugs We have come together to respond to the deplorable health and human rights situation of drug users in our country, and in particular the current climate of fear caused by the extrajudicial killing of people allegedly involved with drugs.

Another lethal party drug article...
This is another lethal party drug article by the Daily Telegraph's (DT)'s Super Crime Buster Division, but I'll try to straighten it out a bit so you can understand it.

Poison Ivy: Drugs and Substances
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Police selling drugs? Bikies selling drugs? Pharmacies prescribing drugs Of course there will be criticism when you cross that thin blue line! You have to realise how the government itself has been corrupted because of the drug scene and the money involved.

Drug rehabilitation: Threats, threats and more threats!
But a spokesperson for Citizens Against Being Forced Mr Ihave Amind Ofmyown said, "Major Watters is John Howard's adviser because he's a bully. Citizens make their own decisions about what is best for them and if you don't like that step down."

MPs told of police corruption
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Alcohol is just the beginning
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Tobacco, alcohol top the drug abuse toll
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NSW police cracked up on antisocial behaviour
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Alcohol pickles your brain
The only two social drugs the Government sanction are cigarettes and alcohol as legal, yet they cause the most damage." He said.