Julian Burnside is a twit of the highest order.

Is that because his legal arguments are wrong or that you don’t agree with him for political reasons such as “I love Ratty”?

If Burnside’s arguments are wrong the onus is on you to prove otherwise, Sherlock.

Howard has not done anything illegal.

A Rotary function attended by Julian Burnside (emminent Melbourne barrister and QC) and Amanda Thirtystone in 2004
http://www.safecom.org.au/burnside4.htm

Burnside then latched onto section 268.12 of the Australian Criminal Code which promises up to 17 years jail if:

1. the perpetrator imprisons one or more persons or otherwise severely deprives one or more persons of physical liberty; and
2. the perpetrator’s conduct violates article 9, 14 or 15 of the Covenant; and
3. the perpetrator’s conduct is committed intentionally or knowingly as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population.

(The Covenant referred to is the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the ICCPR.)

The elements of these offences are relatively simple:

* The perpetrator imprisons one or more persons;
* That conduct violates Article 9 of the ICCPR;
* The conduct is committed knowingly as part of a systematic attack directed against a civilian population.

Burnside argued that Australia’s system of mandatory, indefinite detention satisfies each of the elements of that crime and that The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found that the system violates Article 9 of the ICCPR.

With Vanstone listening intently just metres away, Burnside then said the following:

“If moral arguments have no purchase, it remains the fact that our government is engaged in a continuing crime against humanity when assessed against its own legislative standards. I accuse Mr Howard and Mr Ruddock of that crime.”

“I accuse Senator Vanstone of that crime. I expect that they will ignore this accusation, since the only person who can bring charges is the Attorney General of the Commonwealth.”

There is a whole lot more. I guess many of Ratty’s supporters will also be saying “he’s done nothing illegal” after indictment. Pinochet’s supporters probably said the same, but I guess it’s a predictable defensive/verbal talisman reaction of those who refuse to see concentration camps under their noses.

You are barking up the wrong tree. Howard has not done anything illegal.

Dolly Downer – Amanda, do you like pizza?

John Anderson – My relationship with the AWB.

NB: It’s my music on the car sound system.

Oh and by the way, my letter from JH is not my prediction at all. I was just stirring GT.

Yes, you’re right there. His margin is only about 2%, isn’t it?

What juicy items would you like to see in the collected works of Mr John Howard?

Indeed–The Indictment preceded by:

John Winston Howard, you are under arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity contrary to the Australian Criminal Code, the Geneva Conventions and Customary International Law. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say may be written down and used in a court of law against you…