STATEMENT FROM THE AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN MOTORCYCLE CLUBS
and ASSOCIATIONS CONFERENCE
20
th - 22nd March 2009
REGARDING THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN (SA) SERIOUS ORGANISED
CRIMES CONTROL ACT (SOCCA) “BIKIE BILL”
To the Honourable Premier of South Australia, Michael Rann.
At the recent gathering of Christian Motorcycle Clubs and Associations at Wellington
in South Australia, the current SOCCA Act was discussed at length and we agreed to
express our concerns directly to you.
We support the principle that law should apply to all Australians equally. However, in
relation to this Act, we believe it gives unnecessarily broad discretionary powers to
the authorities. This allows them to focus on marginalised groups in our society in an
unfair manner.
At court, this Act removes the right to examine evidence and to cross-examine
witnesses, which inevitably removes the right to natural justice.
We also express concern for the potential misuse of these powers by any authority in
the future.
We affirm the need for appropriate criminal law in this country, encourage all citizens
to abide by it, and believe it should be applied without discrimination.
The participants of this conference strongly believe that the SA SOCCA laws are
unjust, infringe on basic human rights, and criminalise people who are not proven to
be criminals.
This Act reverses the fundamental principle of law of “innocent until proven guilty”.
We respectfully call for this law to be repealed.
Regards
Signed by Edward (Mac) Hayes Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club (Murray
Bridge) on behalf of the following:
Ambassadors Christian Motorcycle Club (New South Wales) Inc.
Balaam’s Ass Motorcycle Chaplaincy (Western Australia)
Balaam’s Ass Motorcycle Chaplaincy (New South Wales)
Brotherhood Christian Motorcycle Club (New South Wales)
Christian Motorcyclists Association of Australia, South Australia Inc,
Christian Motorcyclists Association of Australia, New South Wales Inc,
Christian Motorcyclists Association of Australia, Victoria Inc,
Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club (Adelaide) Inc.
Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club (Murray Bridge) Inc.
Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club (New South Wales) Inc.
Longriders Christian Motorcycle Club (Victoria) Inc.
Righteous Christian Motorcycle Club
The Disciples Christian Motorcycle Club
Warriors of Zion Christian Motorcycle Club (New Zealand)
(as sent to me we also have the support of the Christian clubs)cheers Hoody
