After today’s historical High Court decision: Labor needs to overhaul mandatory detention system!

The Social Justice Network welcomes the historical decision by High Court today that affirmed the Australian obligation to insure natural justice for all on its land. The decision is widely expected to have big implication on treatment of boat people by this government. The decision will be landmark in breaking the deadlock this government cornered itself inside for the last year.

“While the decision itself will not directly change the government’s inhumane and harsh treatment of asylum seekers coming by boats, but the implications of the decision will enforce the government to change its policy on this issue” said Jamal Daoud, spokesperson of SJN. “The government will find itself in very difficult situation if will not abandon its harsh treatment of boat people”

“From our regular consultations with detainees, we expect that there will be flood of court cases to review the decisions to mass refuse the majority of detainees. This will have direct impact on stopping deportations of “failed” refugees”.

“Immediate result of such move will be that thousands and thousands of asylum seekers will continue to be detained in already overcrowded detention centres. This will add to the high tension in the detention system to the point of total collapse”

“Today’s decision also made the differences between detaining people inside migration zone and outside migration zone to be nil. Such result that will practically dismantle the offshore processing arrangement”

All these factors combined will need prompt action by Labor to defuse volatile situation inside detention centres and to relieve the overstretched resources in overcrowded centres.

If Labor decides to ignore the situation, issues could get out of government hands. We do not believe that Labor can survive in opinion polls if situation continues as status quo. The Labor government is under fire at the moment from all sides. This include from own party members and supporters, union officials and some Labor backbenchers.

Today’s decision and its expected implication will add more evidence of the need to overhaul mandatory detention system. Such system that proved to be expensive, both morally and financially.

The SJN vows to continue fighting against the inhumane mandatory dentition system until the release of all asylum seekers to community until their claims finalised.

For more information, you can contact Jamal Daoud on 0404 447 272.