A fascinating look at the history of civil liberties in Australia, this account offers a solid background to key civil liberties cases and a fresh analysis of the common law, human rights, and parliamentary democracy. From arguments over censorship in the 1930s to present-day debates on mandatory sentencing, the concept of civil liberties and its impact are discussed, tracing the formation of the Australian Council for Civil Liberties and its state-based counterparts as well as chronicling their involvement in the movement for law reform. Through major Australian historic events, this book demonstrates how the nation has been shaped by civil liberties.