Lawyers demand fair go for al-Qaeda pair By Cynthia Banham August 20 2002 The Australian Bar Association has accused the Federal Government of failing the two Australians held captive by the American military in Guantanamo Bay, and has called on it to support their rights to legal access. The association's president, David Curtin, QC, said it was "entirely unsatisfactory" that Adelaide-born David Hicks and Sydney man Mamdouh Habib had been held for nine months without charge or access to lawyers. "The Australian Government has failed them in not supporting their claim for access to legal advice," he said. "We strongly urge the Attorney-General and the Australian Government to ensure these detainees are treated fairly before the law." Concern among the Australian legal fraternity is growing over the Government's refusal to lobby the US over treatment of the men. The president of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, Simon Rice, said the group was considering complaining to the Human Rights Commission that Australia had breached its obligations under the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, which asserts a person's right to be detained only if they are charged and brought promptly before a court. http://smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/19/1029114076722.html