Editor's Welcome

Dear Readers

Welcome back to Edition 2 of The Brief for 2023!

This edition, ‘All of Our Future’ is an exploration of how law and policy affect young people, future generations and their interests. Do our institutions protect these interests? Are they put on the wayside? Maybe their interests are not even contemplated at all? Cost of living pressures, the right to be listened to, the future of our environment, these are just some of the concerns that will impact us and the next generation.

To begin this exploration, we look at the adoption of restorative justice disciplinary measures in schools ( p.12 ). We examine the impact of indexation on HECS/HELP loans ( p.16 ), the Willow Project in the United States and the importance of youth-led activism ( p.14 ), the balancing of religious freedoms with LGBTQIA+ rights in religious schools, ( p.20 ), the difficulty of implementing measures and ensuring child content creators are safe from exploitation ( p.22 ) and discuss the history of legal codification as a tool for reform ( p.18 ).

In addition to our features, this edition includes a concerning examination of deepfake technology used to create sexual abuse material ( p.8 ) and a debate on who should regulate nuclear technolgoy and weaponry: international law or domestic law? ( p.10 ) We also ask the burning question, is procrastination a bad thing? ( p.30 )

With the referendum expected to be held at the end of the year, we explain how referendums work, what the proposed amendment is and the major arguments for and against the Indigenous Voice to Parliament (p.6).

We are also pleased to feature an interview with Dr Holly Doel-Mackaway, senior lecturer, lawyer and social worker at Macquarie Law School, who specialises in the field of child rights with a particular interest in advocacy for Indigenous children and young people. In a six-page feature, we discuss the status of child rights in Australia, the disproportionate impact the law has on Indigenous children and a form of policy-making that empowers Indigenous children to voice their concerns (p.24). We thank Dr Doel-Mackaway for her valuable insight and expertise into children’s law and human rights.

I thank the subcommittee of writers and sub-editors who have contributed to ‘All of Our Future.’ It goes without saying that without your hard work, The Brief would not have been able to get off the ground. I would like to thank Mikaela and Brendan for their assistance and support through the development of Edition 2 in addition to my Deputy Editor, Simeon Levine, for his assistance with editorial review, and our designer, Nathan, for putting together the graphics. Finally, we extend our support to all of our readers for their support; we hope you enjoy the articles and are challenged to consider how the law can be better shaped for our children and those who will succeed them.

Bradley Cagauan Editor-In-Chief