‘In September 2006, the Attorney-General went to Washington to discuss revised military arrangements for the trial of suspects such as Mr Hicks. It was reported widely that these allowed evidence obtained through coercion to be admitted at trial. On his return to Australia, Mr Ruddock told the ABC’s “Insiders” program that sleep deprivation should be permitted as “coercion” rather than torture. He was immediately challenged by the National President of the RSL (who said it could certainly be torture), the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, and Federal Police Commissioner Keelty who said sleep deprivation was illegal for use by AFP officers, and amounted to “unfair tactics”.

The Attorney-General has not, so far as I am aware, modified or retracted these remarks. Not much has, however, since been made of Mr Ruddock’s comments. This may be because most Australian lawyers would prefer not to acknowledge the fact that the titular head of Australia’s legal profession holds such views. More to the point is that Mr Ruddock made these remarks shortly after returning from discussing procedures for the trial of Mr Hicks in Washington, which suggests that it is highly likely that evidence extracted from him - and possibly other prisoners – by means that many would regard as torture will be used against him.’

David Hicks: The Government Needs A Verdict Of Guilty