"What sort of a complete mockery of the rule of law do we have when a black and white law is just completely ignored by all the relevant authorities?"

God, lighten up. Who gives a toss? (apart from Gibo's dodgy mates in the sand dunes).

Antiseptic

Tits not a problem at Buchans Point. There aren’t any. Only dirty old flabby-gutted men and gayboys…..oow and occasionally trim taut and terrific heterosexual Ludwig! Alright, and probably a few others who just like the freedom of being naked in wide open spaces without having to care about who might see their dangly bits.

Or maybe I should have written: Tits a problem at Buchans Point because there aren’t any!!

Sancho

The thing that matters is the hypocrisy in the rule of law, between what is enshrined in legislature and law books and what is accepted by the police, authorities and community. Example number two then – speed limits and other road rules. Think about it.

Gibo

Maybe it is condoned with tourism in mind in some cases. The nude beach at Balding Bay on Magnetic Island is certainly popular with tourists. But this doesn’t for one moment excuse our government from formalising nude beaches or bringing the law into line with accepted practices, does it?

SIG,
"Who gives a toss"?

We all should be concerned that laws are applied properly and I can see Ludwig's point although his example of nudity on beachese does not affect me.

Here's another example. FGM is against the law in all states yet there is evidence that possibly hundreds of young Aussie girls have endured this practice. The evidence is freely available from hospital records where treatment has been sought for post FGM problems. Yet not one person or parent has been charged in relation to this. Possibly some charges will be laid when a girl or two dies from FGM.

On the other hand groups of people that carry out cockfighting are regularly raided and charges laid.

Both activities are cruel and yet it seems cruelity to roosters is more important than cruelity to girls. The hypocrocy is obvious.

Or is one ethnic group being favoured by exemption from the law and another targeted.

If we are not prepared to uphold the law in some instances, then the laws must be changed. If we accept public nudity on beaches then it should not be a crime.

My impression is that it gives pollies more power. If at some stage it suits (an important campaign supporter wants to build a development nearby etc) them to shut down a particular unofficial nude beach they can do with little hassle, the activity is already illegal so no laws need to be changed. On the other hand whilst people know that they are unlikely to be prosecuted for using one of the unofficial beaches most won't be to bothered by the legality issue so it's difficult for the free beach movemnet to gather the momentum for change.

A polly who advicates for free beaches is likely to find those with a passion for body taboo's making life difficult for them. Legal free beaches are currently a no-win proposition for pollies as is shutting the unofficial ones down. Hence the status quo.

R0bert

The coppers are having dramas keeping up with keeping the peace as it is. Right now they have to prioritise what sort of rubbish they want to wade in to. When they get more than enough police to take care of the life and death stuff they'll start picking at things like people not wearing duds on some beach.

Last time I saw, at the Gold Coast police stations there were about 10 vacancies at EACH one.

There are THOUSANDS of laws that are worthy of attention, but until they get the wo/manpower things like this globally and socially insignificant whine won't come up on the radar.

You want it fixed?, lobby for more police.

Banjo.

You need to offer stats and links before making claims (not that I'm really interested) that the authorities are more interested in roosters than people. If what you claim (without proof) is true then instead of assuming they don't care you should figure out why they don't act on it. Maybe the mutilations (I had to look up FGM because you didn't offer meaning) happen overseas before they come here (assuming you're talking about imports, which I think you are). Maybe there's a balance between acting on reports and if doing so might put the practice and treatment underground which would pose further and greater risk to the females. At least at the moment these girls get medical treatment for a practice that is apparently the 'norm' for some cultures. Education, not persecution is the best way to combat that, IMHO.

Cock fight prosecutions probably come from wider investigations into criminal activity. They seem interwoven...