John Tuson Bennett (12 November 1937 – 22 July 2013) was a solicitor in

Victoria, Australia Victoria, commonly abbreviated as Vic, is a state in southeastern Australia. It is the second-smallest state (after Tasmania), with a land area of ; the second-most-populated state (after New South Wales), with a population of over 7 million; ...

. He was one of Australia's longest and most active Holocaust deniers, active in the

Holocaust denial Historical negationism, Denial of the Holocaust is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that asserts that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi Party, Nazis is a fabrication or exaggeration. It includes making one or more of the following false claims: ...

movement from the late 1970s. He formed the Australian Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in 1980.

Early life and education

Bennett was born on 12 November 1937 in

Horsham, Victoria Horsham () is a regional city in the Wimmera region of western Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. Located on a bend in the Wimmera River, Horsham is approximately northwest of the state capital Melbourne. As of the 2021 census, Horsham ...

. His father, Ian, was a solicitor, and later served as mayor. He graduated with honours from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

in both law and arts.

Career

Bennett worked from 1974 to 1996 for the

Legal Aid Commission of Victoria Victoria Legal Aid (VLA), formerly the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria, is an Australian organisation that provides information, legal advice and education. As a statutory authority, VLA operates under the ''Legal Aid Act 1978'' and is funded ...

. He and Beatrice Faust established the Victorian Council for Civil Liberties (VCCL, now known as Liberty Victoria) in 1966, and Bennett served as its secretary until 1980. The new body, which superseded the Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL), had no ties with former council members, and no political and religious affiliations, unlike the ACCL, which was affiliated to the Labor Party. It focused largely on police matters, in particular their actions in response to

protests against the Vietnam War Protests against the Vietnam War took place in the 1960s and 1970s. The protests were part of a movement in opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The majority of the protests were in the United States, but some took place aro ...

around 1970. Disagreements arose between conservative and radical members, and Bennett was expelled from the Labor Party in 1980.

Australian Civil Liberties Union

Around this time disagreements arose between conservative and radical members of the VCCL, and in May 1980 a new committee was elected without Bennett. Conflict ensued, with Bennett refusing to hand over control of the finances or membership list, and the matter went to court. While Bennett claimed to represent the VCCL, but in the same year formed a new body, the Australian Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), its name based on the

American Civil Liberties Union The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million. T ...

, and was its president from 1980 to 2004. The ACLU has been characterised as "one of Victoria's foremost racist and Holocaust denying organisations". Geoff Muirden was secretary of the ACLU in 2004.

Publications and other roles

He was for many years the author of an annually published handbook or journal called ''Your Rights'', This was published over a number of years and editions, first by Bennett, then by VCCL, and then ACLU. The 1984 edition included a section which denied the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

. Bennett claimed in 2003 that the publication was "the most commonly used layman's guide to law in Australia", with over 500,000 copies sold or distributed for free since the first edition. Bennett was closely associated with the

Adelaide Institute The Adelaide Institute was a Holocaust denial group in Australia considered to be antisemitic by the Australian Human Rights Commission and others. The Adelaide Institute was formed in 1995 from the former Truth Mission that was established in 19 ...

as well as the United States-based

Institute for Historical Review The Institute for Historical Review (IHR) is a United States–based nonprofit organization that promotes Holocaust denial. It is considered by many scholars to be central to the international Holocaust denial movement. Self-described as a "his ...

, two groups known for Holocaust denial, and was on the board of ''

The Journal of Historical Review ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

''. In 1999 he organised support for Holocaust denier Fredrick Töben, after he had been jailed in

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...

. He also criticised "

multiculturalism Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''Pluralism (political theory), ethnic'' or cultura ...

and Asian immigration" in addition to criticism against the

Jewish community Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

and traditional beliefs about

The Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

Death and legacy

Bennett died on 22 July 2013, aged 76.

Notes

References

External links

Australian Civil Liberties Union
(last updated 28 April 2004) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennett, John Tuson 1937 births 2013 deaths Australian Holocaust deniers Melbourne Law School alumni