SA bikie law "a disgrace" - Crikey

Legal commentator Greg Barns at Crikey.com.au (pictured) has labeled South Australia's new anti-bike gang laws a human rights disgrace, should it manage to get through parliament.

The law, which has been written to target the state's outlaw bike gangs gives the attorney general and police extraordinary powers that are not subject to any kind of review or checks and balances.

Premier Mike Rann has famously referred to outlaw gangs as "terrorists" which clearly suggests he has no understanding of terrorism, or loves spin. Rann's obsession is actually targeting 250 members in that state, according to police figures.

The legislation, called the Serious and Organised Crime (Control) Bill in fact extends greater powers than the Howard Government's controversial anti-terror laws. Barnes says the bill "gives the Attorney-General the right to call an organisation, which by the way could be anything from an informal group of people who meet at the local pub for a weekly drink through to a football club or a business, a declared organisation. The A-G just has to be satisfied that he thinks that members of the organisation associate for the purpose of planning, organising, facilitating or engaging in serious criminal activity - which is basically anything except traffic offences - and that the organisation represents a risk to public safety and order. The A-G can act on secret and untested evidence in making that declaration, and his decision can't be challenged in the courts! The Commissioner of Police can ask a court to make a Control Order against a person if that person is a member of a declared organisation or regularly associates with members of the declared organisation."