There has been a worldwide outcry against the harsh anti-gay laws introduced in Brunei.  Like Australia, Brunei is a member of the Commonwealth. More than half of the Commonwealth’s member states still criminalise homosexuality…and there seems to be limited signs of change.

* Why have so many Commonwealth countries retained the historic sodomy laws despite now being largely independent of the mother country?

* What power does the Commonwealth Charter have over its members?

* What is Australia’s role in bringing change to the Commonwealth?

To gaze royally across the Empire, we were joined by Professor Paula Gerber from Monash University Law Faculty, the Carstan Centre for Human Rights and President of Kaleidoscope Australia Human Rights Foundation (www.kaleidoscopeaustralia.com).

Broadcast: April 9, 2019