CONFIDENTIAL
AUSTRALIA
Report by British High Commission, Canberra
Right No.
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There is no imprisonment without trial. The judicial process is sometimes slow.
Torture is not used.
There is no slavery (although workers on the Clunies Ross estate in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are in a semi- feudal relationship with their employer).
There are no restrictions on freedom of speech of the press, although strict libel and defamation laws limit public comment and investigatory journalism. Restrictions on public servants, D notices etc are considerably more relaxed than in the UK. Editorial freedom is sometimes circumscribed by proprietors.
The judiciary enjoys complete independence.
Trade union freedom is similar to that in UK. Draft legislation, introduced in Parliament in December 1976, seeks to pro- hibit restrictive practices by employees unless such conduct relates to questions of remuneration, conditions of employment, hours or working conditions of employees. Other recent legislation has enforced secret ballots for the election of union officials.
There is complete freedom to emigrate.
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