Lawyers to challenge immigration law
A recent High Court decision in Australia upholding the government\'s right to detain asylum seekers indefinitely is being opposed.
In an unexpected move, the Law Council of Australia is to examine possible legal reform of mandatory detention, saying lawyers have a responsibility to fight for the \'fundamental human right\' to liberty, reports the Sydney Morning Herald. In August, the High Court said the Migration Act - which allowed failed asylum seekers who could not be deported because no other country would accept them to be locked up for indefinite periods - was valid, a fact one of the majority judges, Justice Michael McHugh, said was \'tragic\'. The council\'s working group will examine whether any further legal challenges are possible to the Act. Full report in the Sydney Morning Herald