Around the world, the legal profession has historically been the domain of white, privileged males. Some conservative nations, such as Saudi Arabia, didn’t even allow women to practice law until recently. And in 2015, the Washington Post declared law to be the least diverse profession in the U.S., as a full 88% of the nation’s…
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Content Warning: this article contains mention of rape, rape culture and victim blaming ‘… we should not make the mistake that law can provide the solution to the oppression that it celebrates and sustains’ – Carol Smart in Feminism and the power of law This quote from Carol Smart has been banging around in my…
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A proposed increase in the fees for a divorce application has become the first measure of the 2015 Federal budget to be knocked back by the Senate. The change to Federal Court fees would have affected the ability of poorer women and women in abusive relationships to obtain a divorce. The Law Council of Australia…
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Perpetrators of domestic violence deserve punishment for their crimes. In proposed mandatory sentencing laws, anybody found guilty of domestic abuse will be given a minimum two years in jail. However, women’s services and lawyers claim these changes may cause victims to become reluctant to give evidence, resulting in a decline in the number of people…
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Controversial new ‘anti-protest’ laws have passed the Victorian lower house by one vote. The summary offences and sentencing amendment bill will now go to the upper house, the Legislative Council for approval. If the laws are passed, police will be able to issue ‘move on directions’ ordering a protesting individual or group to leave an…
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Saudi Arabia’s first female licensed attorney, Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran, has established an all-women law firm seeking to give women fair representation under the legal system. The firm is the first of its kind, coming just shortly after Saudi Arabia allowed women to serve in court at all. Al-Zahran’s vision for the firm is to explicitly fight for…
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This new column will summarise events that have happened in the last week relevant to women, feminism, and sexuality and link you to related articles. It will also offer a brief analysis on some stories. This column is still finding its feet, so please feel free to give us feedback, as well as any news…
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Married gay people will encourage others to be gay. Allowing same-sex marriage could increase gay public displays of affection. Gay people don’t deserve to be married. Those three lines, those empty assertions, are some of what’s being aired out in the fight over legalising gay marriage. At this point in time marriage seems to have…
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