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Australia About to Change Slavery/Forced Labour Laws

scooter

Gold Meritorious Patron
Yes it's a delightful kick in the privates to all those institutions (Co$ included) that "survive" through breaking others.:grouch:

I alluded to it in my OP on the current scene here in ANZO - I doubt very much that OSA has seen this one coming.:woohoo:

Looks like OSA ANZO's legal bill is gonna get astronomical in the next few years. :roflmao:

Not to mention the pay-outs they'll have to negotiate:dieslaughing:

My advice to the OSAspawn?:confused2:

BRING DOX!!!:hysterical:

You should be able to strike some sort of bargain with the Feds :biggrin:
 
It's exciting, isn't it?







From the EM:

The Sea Organisation members in Australia, and some others, should get legal advice about this new offence.

12 years.

Thanks for the clarification. Yes, that should cause quite a few to sweat, and not only those enrolled in the SO or serving as officers of the church. Sounds like any scientologist who cooperates with higher ups by providing a "safe house" or accommodations in transit could potentially be charged per the statute.


Mark A. Baker
 

dchoiceisalwaysrs

Gold Meritorious Patron
Yes, that's a great provision. It only applies to the criminal offences in these divisions, not to civil contracts. However, there are a couple of ways to challenge the church's "contracts":


  1. contracts that promote illegal activity (such as slavery, servitude, forced labour) will not be enforced by the courts as a matter of public policy; and
  2. even if the crime could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt, provided coercion is proven to the civil standard (balance of probabilities), then the person's will was not free. Contract law requires that the parties freely formed an agreement with an intention that it be legally binding. Coercion makes a contract void or voidable.

Thank you Cherished.

Are civil contracts part of common law? And if so would not this expansion part apply?

""clarify that the phrase ‘omission to perform an act that by law there is a duty to
perform’ in subsection 4.3(b) of the Code (dealing with implied omissions)
encompasses not only those duties imposed under Commonwealth law, but also
imposed under a State or Territory law or at common law;""


And what oh what to do with the RPF? Maybe move it to North Korea?

"New section 270.6 defines forced labour as the
condition of a person (the victim) who provides labour or services if, because of the use of
coercion, threat or deception, a reasonable person in the position of the victim would not
consider himself or herself to be free to cease providing the labour or services, or to leave the
place or area where the victim provides the labour or services."

Ohh, and I wonder how the INternational landlord feels about providing finance on 'a receive and return basis' for the conducting of business per:

"As a result of this Item, the term ‘conducting a business’ is defined for the purposes of
Division 270 of the Criminal Code as including taking any part in the management of the
business, exercising control or direction over the business, and providing finance for the
business."

"The purpose of the Bill is to ensure that the broadest range of exploitative behaviour is
captured and criminalised,...."

I applaud this bill. :happydance: It addresses the key issues that led to my very sudden withdrawal from the cult.
 

Axiom142

Gold Meritorious Patron
Wot Scooter said!

The Attorney General may or may not have had in mind the Sea Org when she proposed this Bill, but clearly it can be aimed directly at this most sinister of organisations.

I wonder what the timespan between the passing of this law and the first complaint made against the SO, will be?

Who knows, perhaps ‘certain people’ are working on it right now?...

And, as much as it pains me to say it - Aussies are leading the world in the eradication of this particularly nasty little cult.

Axiom142
 

Lermanet_com

Gold Meritorious Patron
And, as much as it pains me to say it - Aussies are leading the world in the eradication of this particularly nasty little cult.

Axiom142

As they did once before:

"However, I am persuaded ... Scientology is not, subject to one reservation, a religious institution because it is, in relation to its religious pretensions, no more than a sham ," "Its bogus claims to believe in prayer and other aspects of a creed based on a divine being, were " no more than a mockery of religion. Scientology as practiced is in reality the antithesis of a religion" Supreme Court Justice Crockett - Australia 1980

Hopefully this time with the current worldwide support we can end this mockery of religion.

Arnie Lerma
 

Anonycat

Crusader
Wot Scooter said!

The Attorney General may or may not have had in mind the Sea Org when she proposed this Bill, but clearly it can be aimed directly at this most sinister of organisations.

I wonder what the timespan between the passing of this law and the first complaint made against the SO, will be?

Who knows, perhaps ‘certain people’ are working on it right now?...

And, as much as it pains me to say it - Aussies are leading the world in the eradication of this particularly nasty little cult.

Axiom142

Again!
 

A-non-non-anon

Patron with Honors
You have my sympathy. :console: As a limey that must have really really hurt.


Mark A. Baker

You're not wrong... But credit where it's due, this is a FUCKAWESOME result. Especially since COSRECI, the fig leaf that covers the cult's criminal enterprise in the UK, is based in South Australia... How easily could crossjurisdictional cases be brought?

To paraphrase Tom Cruise in South Park... "I'll sue you in Australia"

Don't think this mean we'll go easy on you in the Ashes, though! :p
 

Happy Days

Silver Meritorious Patron
You're not wrong... But credit where it's due, this is a FUCKAWESOME result. Especially since COSRECI, the fig leaf that covers the cult's criminal enterprise in the UK, is based in South Australia... How easily could crossjurisdictional cases be brought?

To paraphrase Tom Cruise in South Park... "I'll sue you in Australia"

Don't think this mean we'll go easy on you in the Ashes, though! :p

We'll take ashes to ashes and dust to dust of the cult over cricket ashes any day ... lol :wink2:
 
G

Gottabrain

Guest
A little something has been going on in the Australian federal parliament that is about to bear fruit (well, it'll be 2013 now, because parliament is over for 2012).

Specifically, the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Slavery, Slavery-like Conditions and People Trafficking) Bill 2012, once it is passed by the Senate and signed off by the Governor General, will amend the laws dealing with the crime of Slavery by:


  1. Extending the definition of "coercion" to include a range of psychological forms of coercion that are used by people engaged in slavery, namely:
    "coercion by force, duress, detention, psychological oppression, abuse of power, or taking advantage of a person’s vulnerability.";​
  2. Introducing some new offences, including "servitude" and "forced labour";
  3. Making it an offence to harbour a victim; and
  4. Making it easier for victims to claim reparation.

WOW. :wow: :dance2: :clap: :clap: :clap:

This is HUGE.

It makes me cry with joy!

THIS is why I've been protesting, telling my stories, getting involved. THIS IS WHY.

I'm getting my citizenship, that's it. Australia is undoubtedly the best country in the world - with the best laws and people who REALLY CARE about us. Home of the free. Home of human rights. I love this country! :biglove:

Australian-Flag.jpg
 

Cherished

Silver Meritorious Patron
This Bill passed the Senate today (well, technically, yesterday, 27 February), without amendment.

It awaits Royal Assent (ie. the Governor-General signing it).

The Coalition (Liberal and National Parties - ie. the Opposition) attempted to remove from the definition of "coercion", coercion caused by psychological oppression and coercion caused by taking advantage of a vulnerability in a person. The amendments were defeated.

Early in 2012, an agent of the Australian Federal Police's Human Trafficking Teams flew around Australia and met with a number of former members of the Sea Organisation and former staff of the church of Scientology. Those interviews were done at the direction of senior AFP management. I am confident that the AFP's investigations informed the process which has led to the passing of the legislation by the Parliament yesterday.

Certain people would be well advised to get legal advice to understand the ramifications of the legislation for how they do their recruiting and staff management!
 

Happy Days

Silver Meritorious Patron
Thanks for the update Cherished.

Can the laws be applied retroactively?

Cause we know the cult has enough rope to hang itself we just need to tie the noose so they can't slip out ... slippery little suckers :coolwink:
 

Cherished

Silver Meritorious Patron
Thanks for the update Cherished.

Can the laws be applied retroactively?

Cause we know the cult has enough rope to hang itself we just need to tie the noose so they can't slip out ... slippery little suckers :coolwink:
No, Liz. One of the hallmarks of the rule of law is that laws can't take effect retrospectively to make actions into crimes. It is not fair.
 

Happy Days

Silver Meritorious Patron
No, Liz. One of the hallmarks of the rule of law is that laws can't take effect retrospectively to make actions into crimes. It is not fair.

We know that cult has an uncanny ability of getting around laws, just wanted to see if we could get a jump on em and get allegations from victims to stick is all. xxxxxx
 

Purple Rain

Crusader
This Bill passed the Senate today (well, technically, yesterday, 27 February), without amendment.

It awaits Royal Assent (ie. the Governor-General signing it).

The Coalition (Liberal and National Parties - ie. the Opposition) attempted to remove from the definition of "coercion", coercion caused by psychological oppression and coercion caused by taking advantage of a vulnerability in a person. The amendments were defeated.

Early in 2012, an agent of the Australian Federal Police's Human Trafficking Teams flew around Australia and met with a number of former members of the Sea Organisation and former staff of the church of Scientology. Those interviews were done at the direction of senior AFP management. I am confident that the AFP's investigations informed the process which has led to the passing of the legislation by the Parliament yesterday.

Certain people would be well advised to get legal advice to understand the ramifications of the legislation for how they do their recruiting and staff management!

glitterfy3024330T259B81.gif


This is totally mindbogglingly awesome!

:kangaroo:
 

Cherished

Silver Meritorious Patron
We know that cult has an uncanny ability of getting around laws, just wanted to see if we could get a jump on em and get allegations from victims to stick is all. xxxxxx
I hear you, Liz. The downside of this principle is that people sometimes get away with conduct that SHOULD have been illegal. The upside is that we don't have to live with the fear that something we innocently do now could be made illegal tomorrow (by a rogue parliament).

These amendments specifically provide that a person may still be subject to forced labour or servitude or slavery even if they could have physically escaped and even if they've never attempted to escape. It's a recognition of the truth that many exes have stated, that the most powerful bars are those in your mind. In future, Scientologists and their lawyers can wave photos of the premises all they like, but the absence of barbed wire won't matter.
 

What's It All About

Patron with Honors
Thank God some government, somewhere, has the will to act decisively to protect its taxpaying citizens and their children. It will be interesting to see what evasive contortions the cult goes to to subvert this legislation. And interesting to see how the legal system responds.
 
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