Australia

Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 8, paragraph 1, of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict Concluding observations: Australia

CRC/C/OPAC/AUS/CO/1
11 July 2012

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Prevention Direct participation

By Sue Wareham

ACT Coordinator, Medical Association for Prevention of War

Things have been a bit dodgy in my neighbourhood lately. Some strange characters are hanging around, and more than the usual smattering of domestic arguments are disturbing the peace. Were it not for our gun ownership laws, it would be a golden opportunity. Set up a local arms and graft fair, similar to those wonderful weekend art and craft fairs, make a neat profit and help the nation’s economy, all at once.

The anti-arms trade movement has an important victory to celebrate as a major arms fair due to begin on Remembrance Day in Adelaide, Australia, has been cancelled because of high levels of protest.

Submission to the 94th Session of the Human Rights Committee: October 2008

Australia
has the distinction of having been the first country to have
introduced legislative provisions recognising conscientious objection
to military service. These were attached to the Defence Act of 1903
which enabled conscription. In fact, however, the provisions of that
Act were not implemented until 1939; they did not apply to a
compulsory military training scheme which operated between 1911 and
1929.

On the 27th of July and an hour after a Wynnum magistrate found the activist not guilty of "disobeying a police direction", police rang the home of one of the activist to let her know that Raytheon did not wish to proceed with wilful damages charges resulting form another (their third) exorcism at their Brisbane offices.

The WRI Women's Working Group has had a long standing interest in women's militarization, including the role of women in militaries. This last issue can be a problematic one for feminist pacifists. Pacifists have no interest in encouraging women to join the military; rather, they support anti-militarist work that keep both women and men out of the armed forces. Conservative forces that support a restricted and traditional view of women's place also strongly oppose women in the military.

23/01/1998 1 Conscription

conscription does not exist

Conscription has been abolished in 1972. The 1951 National Service Act was rendered ineffective in 1973 by the National Service Termination Act and repealed alltogether in 1992. Conscription is not enshrined in the constitution, there is no legislation providing for conscription in peacetime and there are no provisions for registration of conscripts in peace time. [1]

The 1903 Defence Act, as amended in 1992, does provide for the introduction of conscription in war time.

Show Your Solidarity

Messages of solidarity and concern are always appreciated. You can write, fax or email many of the women's groups in former Yugoslavia that you have read about in past issues of this newsletter. The booklet "Adressen von Friedens-Frauen-und Menschenrechtorganisationen im ehemaligen Jugoslawien" ("Addresses of Peace, Women's and Human Rights Organizations in Former Yugoslavia", in English and German) is an good source of information about contacts with women's groups in the area.