For years, survivors of some of the worst crimes imaginable have been put through hell. Their perpetrators allowed to use glowing character references in court, in an effort to have their sentences reduced.

But today, that’s set to change as New South Wales introduces new laws scrapping character references for all criminal sentencing - in response to years of campaigning from sexual abuse survivors.

Today, ‘Your Reference Ain’t Relevant’ Cofounder Harrison James on what these changes mean and how the rest of the country is lagging behind on character reference reform.

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Guest: Cofounder of ‘Your Reference Ain’t Relevant’, Harrison James

Photo: AAP Image/Sarah Wilson

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When the US military seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, people in Colombia were left wondering if they were next.

Almost immediately, Donald Trump was accusing Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, of being tied to cocaine trafficking – without providing evidence – and publicly entertaining a US “operation” in the country.

Monica Villamizar, a Colombian-American journalist, says the mood on the streets has been a mix of shock and fear.

Now, following a phone call that temporarily cooled the crisis, Petro is due to meet Trump in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday – a meeting Monica calls a wild card.

Today, Monica Villamizar on the feud between Trump and Petro – and what’s riding on their meeting for Colombia, and the broader Latin American region.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

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Guest: Colombian-American journalist, Monica Villamizar

Photo: REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

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Australia likes to present itself as a defender of human rights. But right now, on the world stage, that reputation is being seriously questioned.

Dozens of countries have called on Australia to stop locking up children, some as young as ten, and to confront the fact that Indigenous kids make up the overwhelming majority of those behind bars.

For a nation that claims moral leadership on human rights, the scrutiny now facing Australia is deeply shameful and impossible to ignore. The tough-on-crime agendas of several state and territory governments risk undermining Australia’s reputation when it comes to the way we treat our own children.

Today, CEO of Change the Record, Jade Lane, and CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre, Caitlin Reiger, on Australia’s standing on the world stage, and why so many Australian children call prison home.

If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support.

Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram

Guest: CEO of Change the Record, Jade Lane and CEO of the Human Rights Law Centre, Caitlin Reiger

Photo: ABC Indigenous

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.