Citizenship stripping laws slammed as ineffective

WHAT ARE THE LAWS?

* The Commonwealth can apply to a court to have a dual nation's Australian citizenship stripped if they are convicted for a listed serious offence and receive a prison sentence of at least three years.

* Offences include treason, terrorism, espionage, foreign interference, advocating mutiny, explosives and lethal devices and foreign incursions and recruitment.

* A judge would apply the punishment as part of the sentencing.

CONTROVERSY

* Human rights and law experts have raised concerns about the law applying to people under the age of 18, saying it's not in line with international law obligations protecting children.

* Doubts have also been cast about how the laws make the community safer, with law experts saying deporting terrorists to nations who can't handle them as well as Australia creates more of a risk.

* A person could be rendered effectively stateless if their other country doesn't accept them or strips their second citizenship during prolonged Australian law proceedings.

* It goes against the key principle of the Australian justice system that perpetrators can be rehabilitated.

KEY QUOTES

"A regime of exile for children is just not the way to go." - Human Rights Law Commission president Rosalind Croucher.

"We shouldn't proceed on the basis that applying this to even serious crimes like terrorism will increase our national security." - Constitutional law expert George Williams

"Many people who have expressed and even acted upon the most repugnant belief had been rehabilitated." - Richard Wilson SC

"It's important to have that provision in law to act as a deterrent." - Home Affairs Department deputy secretary Nathan Smyth

"The AFP has a very strong relationship with international partners ... if that were to occur we'd be working closely with those partners." - Australian Federal Police commander Anthony Fox on concerns about deporting a convicted terrorist.

Australian Associated Press