The Law Council of Australia is warning against criminalising the possession of extremist memorabilia, calling it overkill and saying it would have “unintended consequences.” Richard Wilson SC, the co-chair of the Council’s National Criminal Law Committee, was responding to comments yesterday by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) calling for new laws to address gaps in the monitoring of extremist activity. One recommendation from the AFP was that the possession and sharing of propaganda, flags, and insignia—along with online content—from extremist groups such as ISIS or the Nazis be criminalised. “Symbols and insignia shouldn’t be criminalised,” Wilson told the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on Friday. “It seems overkill,” he said. “Criminalisation can, and does have unintended consequences, including fuelling extremism by heightening the sense of grievance and marginalisation felt by disaffected individuals, which made them susceptible to radicalisation in the first place.” He also argued that mere possession …