Black Lives Matter founders meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders
This year, the annual Sydney Peace Prize awarded the honour to Black Lives Matter, the first time the award has been given to a movement, rather than an individual. While in Australia to accept the award, co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Patrisse Cullors and Canadian chapter leader Rodney Diverlus met with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and advocates. Senior Lawyer, Shahleena Musk, was part of a number of a number of those meetings, and helped coordinate a people of colour organising exchange.
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WA Government delivers an apology that rights historical wrongs
Today the Premier of Western Australia, Mark McGowan will deliver a formal state apology to people convicted under unjust laws against homosexual acts.
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Australia’s refugee policies comes under more UN fire for “putting lives at risk”
The UN’s top expert on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has included criticism of the Australian Government in a scathing global report condemning deterrence-based responses to people seeking asylum.
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PNG Police chief warns of dangers to refugees on Manus, pleads with locals for calm
Overnight PNG police issued an ominous media statement warning that the safety of refugees on Manus is “not to be taken for granted given the tension that is now being expressed by the locals on Manus Island.” Peter Dutton and Malcolm Turnbull can't just sit back and wait for further bloodshed. Every single man on Manus must be immediately evacuated to safety in Australia.
Photo credit: Matthew Abbott
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Stabbed, beaten, and robbed: refugees on Manus to be abandoned in danger
Human Rights Watch (HRW) visited Manus in September this year, and spoke to dozens of men about their fears, including those who have been “stabbed, beaten, and robbed” when they’ve left the guarded centre. The latest report from HRW lays bare the fear, cruelty and danger the refugees and people seeking asylum face on Manus Island.
Photo credit: Matthew Abbott
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Nauru detention centre contract: Canstruct must walk away from business in abuse
The Department of Immigration revealed in Senate Estimates today that Australian engineering firm Canstruct was the only firm approached to tender for the contract to run Australia’s immigration detention centre on Nauru.
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Australian Government criticised on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex rights at UN
The UN Human Rights Committee has taken aim at the Australian Government’s treatment of sexual minorities. The comments came in the same week Australia was elected to the UN Human Rights Council. Anna Brown, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, said Australia should be concerned about its international legitimacy so soon after its appointment to the UN Human Rights Council.
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No food. No water. No safety: Refugees on Manus to be abandoned in danger
A threatening notice posted inside the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (RPC) today has warned refugees detained there for the last four and a half years that from the 31 October, all food, water and electricity will be disconnected, the fences will come down and the facility will be handed over to the PNG Defence Forces.
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UN takes Australia to task over archaic fines laws that resulted in Ms Dhu’s death in custody
The Australian Government was again grilled last night at the United Nations in Geneva with the Human Rights Committee taking aim at the failure to scrap the cruel fines laws that resulted in Ms Dhu’s tragic death in custody.
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“Shocking” “disturbing”: Australian Government slammed for its cruelty to refugees at UN hearing
Just one day after condemning the Australian Government’s “chronic non-compliance” with international human rights laws, in a further hearing overnight the expert Committee honed in on the Government’s cruelty to refugees and in particular its offshore detention regime. The Human Rights Committee described the policies as “shocking” and “disturbing”.
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New Nauru contractor is accepting a poisoned chalice
Australian engineering firm Canstruct will be complicit in serious human rights abuses if it takes over the contract to run the Australia’s immigration detention centre on Nauru. A leaked memo from Canstruct’s CEO overnight, shows the company will take over the contract to run the Nauru centre by the end of the month, and will be paid $8 million by the Australian Government.
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Australia’s “chronic non-compliance” “completely off the charts” says UN
Overnight Australia was slammed by the UN Human Rights Committee for its “chronic non-compliance” with, and disengagement from, that Committee’s work. Australia’s record on human rights was found lacking as part of the Committee’s review into Australia’s protection of civil and political rights.
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Dangerous welfare reforms must be rejected by the Senate
The Federal Government’s Welfare Reform Bill contains stigmatising and needlessly punishing measures, whilst giving too much power over the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities to an unelected bureaucrat.
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High Court strikes down Tasmania’s excessive anti-protest laws
The High Court of Australia has ruled that key provisions of Tasmania’s excessive anti-protest legislation are invalid because they violate the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian Constitution.The Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre, Hugh de Kretser, said the decision was a big win for democracy in Australia.
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Government ignores advice of expert group on business and human rights
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has come under strong criticism from members of an advisory group that the Minister established just this year. Members of the Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group on the Implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights were disappointed that their recommendations have been dismissed outright by the Foreign Minister.
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High Court to rule on Bob Brown’s challenge to Tasmania’s anti-protest laws
Media Alert: At 10:15am Wednesday 18 October the High Court of Australia will hand down its decision in a landmark case which argued that Tasmania’s excessive anti-protest laws violate the implied freedom of political communication in the Australian Constitution.
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We’ve got a seat at the table, but how will we use it?
Hot on the heels of its appointment to the UN Human Rights Council, the Australian Government faced a grilling from UN experts about its own human rights performance. Our lawyers were in Geneva to help brief the Committee and present a report endorsed by 56 Australian organisations highlighting how Australia was failing to meet the standards it promised to uphold.
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Australia to face human rights scrutiny in week of UN Human Rights Council vote
During the same week that Australia is expected to be granted a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, an expert UN committee will grill the Australian Government over its own human rights record.
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Australia yet to prove its mettle as a global human rights leader as it takes a seat on UN Human Rights Council
“This is the most significant UN position Australia has sought since the Security Council. Relatively speaking Australia is likely to be a positive force for reform on the Council, but if it wants to have the credibility required to be a true human rights leader it can't continue to blatantly breach international law itself. There's no doubt that it's cruel treatment of refugees will hamstring Australia's efforts on Council," said Emily Howie.
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Righting the wrongs of Queensland’s homophobic past: Government to allow to clear unjust convictions
We welcome the Queensland Government’s important step to help people whose love was criminalised by unjust laws. It’s not only a symbolic win, it will also remove practical barriers imposed by these unfair convictions.
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Choose your limbo: After 4 years of suffering, Australian Government tells refugees in Manus RPC they can transfer to Nauru RPC
"After four years of fear, violence, suffering and death, these men deserve safety. Shunting them from one island prison to another doesn’t cut it,” said Daniel Webb.
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Daniel Webb wins Global Pluralism Award for refugee rights work
A message from Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre to our supporters.
I am delighted to announce that the Human Rights Law Centre’s Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, has won an inaugural Global Pluralism Award – awarded by the Canadian-based Global Centre for Pluralism.
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Australian lawyer wins prestigious international human rights award
The Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, former Prime Minister of Canada and chair of the Award jury, has announced Daniel Webb, Director of Legal Advocacy with the Human Rights Law Centre as a winner of the inaugural Global Pluralism Award for his work highlighting and promoting the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.
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Another tragic death on Manus, Government must immediately evacuate people to safety in Australia
Another refugee held by the Australian Government on Manus Island has been found dead. He was one of over 900 men who came to Australia seeking safety but have been held on Manus for four years. His is the ninth death in the Australian run offshore detention centres and the second on Manus Island in just two months.
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High Court releases Judgment in marriage equality postal survey challenge
“With the postal vote survey proceeding right now, we have no choice but to campaign hard for a strong ‘yes’ vote. Vote ‘yes’ for dignity, vote ‘yes’ for love. It’s time to move forward, Australians are ready for marriage equality," said Anna Brown.
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25 refugees leave Manus for the US, but limbo continues for the 2000 left behind
United States authorities have today confirmed that 25 refugees detained by the Australian Government on Manus Island for the last four years have left for the US but refused to confirm when — or how many — others will follow.
Over 2000 people remain warehoused on Manus and Nauru, 1783 of whom have already been assessed to be refugees. Among these 2000 innocent people are 169 children.
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Australia must abandon racially discriminatory remote work for the dole program UN told
In a joint statement to the UN Human Rights Council, the Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT and Human Rights Law Centre urged the Australian Government to abandon its racially discriminatory ‘Community Development Program’ and replace it with an Aboriginal-led model.
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Hope for a handful, but fear, despair and limbo for 2,000 left behind on Manus/Nauru
After four years of fear and violence, a small handful of people finally received some good news. But this doesn't close the dark chapter in our history — not until every single man, woman and child tormented on Nauru and Manus Island is safe.
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Marriage Equality Postal Survey Safeguards Fact Sheet
The postal survey on marriage equality is now underway. New laws have been put in place to try to ensure respectful debate. Here's what you need to know about how they impact you.
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Intelligence sharing a threat to democracy: privacy and human rights organisations launch international campaign
The Australian Government must ensure transparency of its intelligence sharing with other countries to safeguard Australian citizen’s private information, a coalition of privacy and human rights organisations said with the launch of a new campaign.
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Governments should work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to reverse growing imprisonment rates
Adrianne Walters, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, said that state and territory criminal justice systems are out of balance and that governments around Australia have a responsibility to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities to stem the number of people being sent to prison.
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The Australian Government must encourage public debate, not restrict the right of charities to speak up
“One of the things that makes our democracy great is having an informed public debate with a range of voices. Charities working for public benefit are and should be a key voice in these debates. The Government should be safeguarding their free speech, not stifling it,” said Emily Howie.
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Urgent UN intervention sought to halt Government attempts to coerce refugees back to harm
The United Nations has been asked to urgently intervene to halt the Australian Government’s moves to make refugees and people seeking asylum destitute as a means of coercing them to return to danger and harm on Nauru or Manus Island.
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Andrews Government steps up to support refugees being made destitute by Peter Dutton
“It’s time to bring some compassion, common sense and basic human decency back to the way we treat people seeking asylum. Premier Andrews has shown it. Now it’s time for other leaders to do the same,” said Daniel Webb.
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Senate Committee told Government’s remote work for the dole program is racially discriminatory
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities are being denied basic rights and fair payment for work as a result of a racially discriminatory Federal Government program. That was the message the Human Rights Law Centre had for the Senate Committee examining the appropriateness and effectiveness of the Government’s remote work for the dole program.
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Vote ‘Yes’ campaign full steam ahead after High Court marriage equality outcome
"With the postal vote survey now proceeding, we have no choice but to campaign hard for a strong yes vote. Australians are ready for marriage equality and the survey is an opportunity for all Australians to vote for their friends and family and our national values of fairness and equality."
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High Court hears challenge to the Australian Government’s divisive marriage equality postal plebiscite
“Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people should be able to marry the person they love. The postal plebiscite is unnecessary and is already proving divisive and harmful. LGBTI groups strongly oppose the plebiscite and so do we,” said Anna Brown.
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Welfare reforms would cause harm and give too much power over remote communities to an unelected bureaucrat
“The Government has not pointed to any evidence that these measures will help people recover from drug or alcohol addiction or get them into work. Rather, they will aggravate economic disadvantage, and perpetuate wrongful stereotypes about people who turn to Australia’s social safety net in times of need,” said Adrianne Walters.
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We’re hiring for our Sydney office - Help us defend democratic freedoms
We have two exciting opportunities to join the Human Rights Law Centre team in Sydney to focus on our work defending democratic freedoms - we're looking to hire a Director of Legal Advocacy and Lawyer.
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Government must abandon plans to force refugees living in the community back to danger
“These are babies who’ve taken their first steps and spoken their first words in Australia. Kids going to Australian schools. Families who have been part of our community for years. And now, out of the blue, they’ll be effectively thrown out on the streets in a cruel attempt to force them back to harm,” said Hugh de Kretser.
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Leaked documents reveal shocking attempt to force refugees living in the community back to danger
MEDIA ALERT - PRESS CONFERENCE
Who: Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director, Human Rights Law Centre - who represent most of the affected people, Amy Frew, Lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre, Natasha Blucher, Detention Advocacy Manager, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Date: Sunday 27 August 2017
Time: 11:00AM (AEST)
Location: HRLC, Level 17, 461 Bourke St, Melbourne
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PNG says it won't let Australian Government abandon refugees on Manus Island
"The people in the Manus detention centre are tired from this kind of political games. We just want freedom and a chance to rebuild our lives," said Behrouz Boochani.
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Explainer: Marriage Equality Postal Plebiscite High Court Challenge
All Australians should have the same opportunities for love, commitment and happiness. All Australians should be able to marry the person they love. This is why we're challenging the unnecessary postal plebiscite.
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NT repeals punitive alcohol laws but unjust paperless arrest laws remain
The Human Rights Law Centre today welcomed the repeal of Northern Territory alcohol laws that unfairly and disproportionately impact Aboriginal people, but urged the Government to follow through on its promise to remove draconian paperless arrest laws.
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Proposed laws to address abuse in corporate supply chains a step in the right direction
“I've met kids in Cambodia who had been compelled to work 14-hour days on plantations in blistering heat to supply produce that ends up on Western supermarket shelves. We clearly need a better system of regulation here to ensure that Australian companies are not turning a blind eye to these sorts of practices,” said Keren Adams.
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Marriage equality postal plebiscite challenge returns to the High Court
Anna Brown, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, which is representing Australian Marriage Equality and Senator Janet Rice, said the urgent challenge was necessary to test the constitutional validity of the postal plebiscite on marriage equality.
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High Court challenge to the Government's divisive and unnecessary postal plebiscite
“All Australians should have the same opportunities for love, commitment and happiness. Australians don’t want more excuses or delaying tactics – we want marriage equality,” said Anna Brown
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Our High Court challenge to the Government's divisive and unnecessary postal plebiscite
The Human Rights Law Centre will be part of a High Court challenge to the Australian Government’s divisive and unnecessary postal plebiscite. Here's why.
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Marriage equality campaign launches High Court challenge against postal plebiscite
The Human Rights Law Centre has today filed a legal action against the Australian Government on behalf of Australian Marriage Equality and Senator Janet Rice. The action challenges the constitutional validity of the postal plebiscite on marriage equality.
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Federal Government’s changes to welfare laws will give too much power over remote communities to an unelected bureaucrat
The Federal Government’s Welfare Reform Bill contains unfair and needlessly punishing measures, while giving too much power over the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities to an unelected bureaucrat, the Human Rights Law Centre has told a Senate inquiry.
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Another death on Manus, Government must immediately evacuate people to safety
Another man held by the Australian Government on Manus Island has been found dead. It is reported that the refugee’s body was found in dense jungle on the island. He was one of over 900 men who came to Australia seeking safety but have been held on Manus for four years.
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Postal plebiscite policy would face urgent High Court challenge
Anna Brown, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, has today publicly released a joint opinion from top constitutional experts confirming that the Government spending money for a postal plebiscite without passing legislation would be unconstitutional.
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New Bill moves LGBTI Australians closer to marriage equality
A renewed push to legislate for marriage equality is on. “This brings hope to the many lesbian and gay Australians and their families, friends and colleagues, who just want to be treated equally under Australian law and marry the person they love,” said Anna Brown.
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Australian mining company in prosecution spotlight for role in Congo massacre
The African Commission on Human and People's Rights has urged the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to re-open the criminal investigation into the role an Australian company, Anvil Mining, played in a massacre of 70 people in 2004.
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Tension, fear and despair on Manus as Trump/Turnbull transcript exposes gaping holes in US deal
“I just cried as I was reading the transcripts of the most two powerful leaders in this world. Their words made me feel like I am just a product to them and I can be traded for anything.”
“I am just a human being and there is no need to play with my life. All I want is to respect and love others and be loved and respected in return. All I need is a sense of belonging to a safe country so that I can live a life that every human deserves.” - Imran Mohammad, a refugee held on Manus Island for almost four years.
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The Australian Government needs to encourage community groups to speak out, not silence them
The Australian Government should create an environment that encourages all not-for-profit groups to speak freely and contribute to public debate the Human Rights Law Centre today told the Department of the Treasury which is conducting an inquiry into potential reforms to the Deductible Gift Recipient tax arrangements.
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Trump and Turnbull transcript exposes massive holes in US refugee deal
“Turnbull was clearly more concerned with appearances than reality - totally preoccupied with maintaining the facade of the deal irrespective of whether or not anyone will actually find safety under it.”
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Three years since Ms Dhu’s tragic death in custody and unfair laws remain
“It’s been three years since the cruel death of Ms Dhu in police custody. Three years for the WA Government to right clear wrongs. Ms Dhu should never have been taken into custody in the first place," said Adrianne Walters.
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Australia needs clear and strong laws to address human rights abuses in corporate supply chains
Australia should introduce strong laws to tackle modern slavery in the global supply chains of Australian businesses, the Human Rights Law Centre today told a parliamentary inquiry hearing.
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South Australia introduces relationship recognition for same-sex couples and anti-discrimination protections for intersex people
Today in South Australia, landmark reforms came into effect which allow for same-sex couples married overseas to have the legal certainty and dignity of recognition under state laws.
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Human rights must be better protected in Australian law
The Human Rights Law Centre today said it welcomes community discussion about a national Human Rights Charter following the announcement that the Australian Greens will ask the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights to help identify the best model for a national Charter.
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Overnight attacks are further evidence of growing dangers faced by refugees on Manus Island
“We are seeing a chain of attacks against refugees. The local police can’t protect us. We are being forced to live in constant fear,” said Behrouz Boochani.
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Australia takes important step towards more open government
“Although Australia has, in many ways, a strong democracy, secrecy has noticeably increased across government. Australia’s commitment to the Open Government Forum is a step towards addressing some of the transparency issues that hold us back,” said Emily Howie.
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The NT Government must rein in excessive police lock up powers to avoid future deaths in custody
"The NT Government should be urgently finding ways to reduce Aboriginal peoples’ contact with the criminal justice system,” said Senior Lawyer Shahleena Musk.
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Australia needs an effective complaints body to investigate corporate human rights abuses
Australia’s key complaints body for corporate human rights abuses is failing and in need of a major overhaul, the Human Rights Law Centre has told an independent review.
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Australian Government misleads the UN, High Commissioner for Refugees calls for camps to be evacuated immediately
Today the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, revealed that the Australian Government misled the UN while seeking its support for the controversial US refugee resettlement deal.
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Four years on, still a “major or critical” incident nearly every day on Manus - new report finds
“All the men on Manus and the families and children on Nauru want – all they have ever wanted – is a life in safety and freedom. They’ve had four years of their life taken from them. They deserve a future.” says Daniel Webb.
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More evidence that Australia is failing on youth justice
More examples of the serious mistreatment and harm to children in Australian youth detention centres have been detailed in damning reports from Western Australia’s independent Inspector of Custodial Services and Queensland’s Youth Detention Inspectorate.
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Further delays and uncertainty around US deal compounding suffering on Manus and Nauru
News that US officials interviewing refugees on Nauru have walked out two weeks before their scheduled departure time has cast more doubt on the future of the US resettlement deal.
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News that annual US refugee quota has been filled causing despair on Manus
Behrouz Boochani, a refugee currently held on Manus Island said, "All the men here have families, and four years with no certainty for their future is already too much."
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Australia needs to lift its game if it wants to play leadership role on world’s top human rights body
Responding to reports that France has withdrawn its candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council – meaning Australia and Spain can be elected to the world’s peak human rights body unopposed – Emily Howie, a Director of Legal Advocacy at the HRLC, said Australia has work to do in order to fulfill the duties of a Council member.
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Reforming an ineffective and harmful youth justice system in the NT
The Northern Territory Government has been ineffective in its response to child offending and is failing to make communities safer, the Human Rights Law Centre told the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.
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Scathing UN report calls for Nauru and Manus centres to be evacuated immediately
The Australian Government must evacuate every man, woman and child currently warehoused on Manus and Nauru and bring them to safety in Australia, the United Nations said overnight.
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UN highlights Australian Government’s failure on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's rights
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to be denied basic rights the United Nations reported overnight.
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Bon passed away knowing he no longer had a criminal record
I met Bon and his partner of 50 years, Peter de Waal in 2014 when I worked closely with the NSW LGBTI Parliamentary Working Group to pass legislation to erase historical homosexual convictions.
Recently, Bon was diagnosed with terminal cancer and it was his dying wish to have his record cleared. This year we made that happen.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people denied basic rights through Federal Government program
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote communities are being denied basic rights, equal treatment and fair payment for work, as a result of Federal Government policy, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and the Human Rights Law Centre told a Senate inquiry.
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Australian Government’s support of UN LGBTI expert recognised at Human Rights Council
Addressing the UN earlier this week in a statement to the Human Rights Council, the Human Rights Law Centre called on all UN member states to cooperate with the first United Nations independent expert tasked with combating the unacceptable violence and discrimination faced by gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people around the world.
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A message from Manus
Imran Mohammad is a Rohingyan refugee whom our Government has detained for the last four years on Manus Island in PNG. “I have never experienced safety since I was born.” With your support, we have travelled to Manus three times to expose conditions inside the detention centre and to bring the voices of the men trapped inside to the world.
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UN warned that Australian Governments are locking up Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women at record rates
As the Australian Government campaigns for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families are being torn apart by punitive laws and a lack of investment in community-based prevention programs, the UN heard overnight.
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Legal and community groups call on Queensland to erase unjust homosexual convictions
Community leaders and human rights groups appeared before a parliamentary hearing today to support legislation to erase the criminal records of people convicted under unjust laws against homosexual acts and call for important improvements to be made.
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At critical stage of UN bid, Australia must find humane way forward for refugees on Manus and Nauru
The Australian government must immediately evacuate every person warehoused on Nauru and Manus to safety if it wants to be taken seriously as a human rights leader, the Human Rights Law Centre told the United Nations Human Rights Council in a statement delivered overnight.
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Human Rights Law Centre appears at Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Youth Justice
Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director with the Human Rights Law Centre told the Parliamentary Inquiry into Youth Justice Centres in Victoria that the Victorian Government has an opportunity to rebuild a safe, humane, age-appropriate youth justice system.
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Defending Democracy – our report launched by Gillian Triggs
Democracy thrives when public policy and debates are informed by a range of voices. Community organisations have enormous expertise to contribute, drawn from the work they do, whether it’s running a homeless shelter or protecting the environment.
You can help safeguard our vital democratic foundations by making a tax deductible donation to our appeal today.
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Government, corporations settle Manus class action at the last minute
The Australian Government today confirmed it would pay $70 million to almost 2000 men, many of whom it has warehoused on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea for nearly 4 years.
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Defend human rights today
We’re in the midst of a democratic and human rights recession both here and overseas.
Your support is needed to push back. More than just stopping the erosion of our rights, together we can advance the protection of human rights in Australia and create real and long-lasting change.
Today we’re launching our End of Financial Year Appeal.
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Freedom of religion must be protected under Australian law and balanced with other rights
Today the Human Rights Law Centre will appear before the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Human Rights Sub-Committee to give evidence for the inquiry into the status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief.
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Community groups call for greater freedom to speak out
Australian governments must act now to safeguard and encourage vibrant debate on matters of public interest, 15 non-government organisations have said in a new Human Rights Law Centre report to be launched by Gillian Triggs at the Progress conference in Melbourne.
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Experts and community groups urge Queensland Attorney General to act on abortion law reform
The Queensland Government should demonstrate a commitment to women’s health and refer abortion to the state’s Law Reform Commission, a coalition of legal, medical and community groups said.
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Manus closure: Government reveals plans to move up to 440 men to East Lorengau Transit Facility
The Department of Immigration revealed in Budget Estimates that it plans to expand bed capacity at the East Lorengau Refugee Transit Centre to house up to 440 men on Manus when it closes the detention centre in October.
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Offshore detention reaches critical point, further tragedy inevitable unless Australia acts responsibly
"It’s not good enough to just leave innocent people trapped in limbo in unsafe conditions forever. Every single one of these men deserves the chance to finally start rebuilding their lives in safety," Daniel Webb said.
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The Equality Campaign Welcomes The AMA’s Support for Marriage Equality
"LGBTI Australians should have the same opportunities for love, commitment and happiness as everyone else. We cannot stress enough that this reform is simply about extending the right of civil marriage to all Australians,” said Anna Brown.
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Leaked documents reveal further evidence that Manus centre must be evacuated immediately
“For the last four years we’ve seen report after report - horror story after horror story - detailing the harm people are suffering inside the camp and the serious dangers they face when they venture outside it. How much more evidence do we need?” said Daniel Webb.
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Documents reveal year long campaign to make conditions in Manus camp even worse
Leaked reports reveal that camp managers and security staff contracted by the Australian Government intentionally tried to make conditions in Australia’s detention centre on Manus Island even worse, putting the men who have been held in limbo for almost four years at greater risk of serious harm.
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Report addressing the skyrocketing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s imprisonment rates
The over-imprisonment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is a growing national crisis that is being overlooked by all levels of government in Australia, the Human Rights Law Centre and Change the Record said in a new report. HRLC's Adrianne Walters said, “The tragic and preventable death of Ms Dhu is a devastating example of what happens when the justice system fails Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.
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NSW votes down bill to modernise abortion law
Today the NSW Upper House voted down a bill that would have brought the state’s abortion law in line with clinical practice and community standards, said the Human Rights Law Centre.
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Detaining children in adult prison unlawful: Supreme Court rules against Victorian Government
The Victorian Supreme Court this morning ruled that detaining children at the Barwon maximum security adult prison was unlawful and prohibited the Victorian Government from continuing to detain children there.
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The Queensland Government delivers an apology that rights historical wrongs
Rights groups applauded the Queensland Government for its apology to people convicted under unjust laws against homosexual acts. Anna brown said, "This apology from the Queensland Government is a powerful symbolic act that helps to repair the harm caused by these unjust laws and affirm the value of gay, lesbian and bisexual people’s sexuality."
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Supreme Court to deliver judgment on kids in Barwon prison case - Thursday 11 May 2017, 10:30am
The Victorian Supreme Court will decide tomorrow whether the Victorian Government breached the law in moving children to the maximum security adult prison at Barwon. Human Rights Law Centre lawyers to hold a doorstop press conference shortly after the court session has concluded.
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High Court hears landmark case on Tasmania’s anti-protest laws that unreasonably restrict free speech and protest
On Tuesday the High Court of Australia will hear a landmark case seeking to strike down Tasmania’s excessive anti-protest laws that unreasonably limit people’s freedom to stand together and speak out on matters that they care about.
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Companies complicit in Australia’s detention regime under spotlight at UN
Human rights abuses by companies involved in the detention of asylum seekers on Manus Island were once again under the spotlight at the United Nations.
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Queensland review confirms that youth justice system is failing children
Over 80 recommendations have been made to bring the Queensland youth justice system in line with international law and to respond to the individual developmental needs of each child. the review reminds us that just because a child is incarcerated, their human rights and entitlements must not be ignored.
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Australia must legislate to prevent modern slavery in corporate supply chains
With some of Australia’s biggest brands like Rip Curl, Quicksilver, Woolworths and Coles recently caught up in forced labour scandals, it is clear the Australian Government needs a better system to compel businesses to lift their game.
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Scathing Senate Committee report reveals further evidence that Nauru and Manus centres must be evacuated immediately
A scathing Senate Committee report has found that conditions inside the Nauru and Manus camps are unsafe and are causing severe harm for which the Australian government is responsible.
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Victorian Government plans to keep kids in Barwon adult prison months after repairs to Parkville centre completed
The Victorian Government told the Supreme Court last December that its sole justification for locking kids up in a maximum security adult prison was the lack of capacity due to the damage at Parkville. Yet now the Government has admitted that even when those 60 beds are fully repaired next month, it’s going to continue to keep kids at Barwon until August or September.
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Enough is enough - Manus attacks show Turnbull must immediately evacuate the Manus centre and bring the men to safety in Australia
The terrifying and violent attack on the men in the Manus Island regional processing centre last night is further proof that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull must immediately evacuate the camp and bring the men to safety in Australia.
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Tasmania apologises for unjust anti-LGBT criminal laws
The Human Rights Law Centre welcomes Tasmanian Premier's Will Hodgman apology today to people charged under Tasmania’s previous laws that criminalised homosexuality, and a scheme to allow people who were charged or convicted of crimes for consensual homosexual activity or cross-dressing to apply to have these charges removed from their criminal records.
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At critical stage of UN bid, Turnbull must use PNG trip to find humane way forward for refugees on Manus
The Human Rights Law Centre has urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to use his PNG trip – which comes at a critical juncture in Australia’s bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council - to make arrangements for refugees and people seeking asylum languishing on Manus Island to be immediately evacuated to safety.
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Human rights groups call out corporation’s association with abuse
The offshore processing centres on Nauru and Manus Island continue to be the sites of ongoing human rights violations, including illegal detention, sexual assault and child abuse. Today, a new report by Amnesty exposes how Spanish multinational Ferrovial and its Australian subsidiary Broadspectrum are making vast profits operating Australia’s abusive offshore detention centres.
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Legal challenge in Supreme Court against Victorian Government’s decision to detain children in maximum security adult prison
MEDIA ALERT: DOOR STOP PRESS CONFERENCE
9:15am Monday 3 April 2017
On the steps of the Victorian Supreme Court, 210 William St, Melbourne
with the Human Rights Law Centre’s Executive Director Hugh de Kretser
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Royal Commission set to hand down interim report as Victorian Government fails to learn the lessons of Don Dale
Tomorrow the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory will release its interim report into systemic abuses and mistreatment of children in youth prisons.
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NSW a step closer to ensuring women can safely and privately access abortion clinics
Today Penny Sharpe MLC introduced a bill into the New South Wales parliament to protect the privacy, safety and dignity of women accessing reproductive health services.
“For too long, women in NSW have had to run the gauntlet of intimidation and abuse just to see their doctor. It’s difficult to understand how this behaviour has been allowed to continue for so long,” said Ms Howie.
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Barwon prison: Teen offender reveals toll of being in Victoria’s most secure adult jail
On 30 March 2017, the Herald Sun published a story about our Supreme Court challenge against the Victorian Government to stop the use of Barwon prison to detain children. The story includes a letter written by one of our clients.
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Turnbull Government urged to reunite families torn apart by offshore detention
The daughter of a man being held indefinitely on Manus Island, despite being found to be a refugee, traveled to Canberra to ask politicians to reunite her family, who have been separated for three and a half years by the government’s offshore detention policies.
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Victoria’s Commission for Children and Young People reveals unacceptable use of isolation in youth justice centres
The Commission for Children and Young People released a scathing report, The Same Four Walls, detailing widespread isolation of children in Victoria’s youth justice centres. "You can’t respond to inadequate staffing levels by just leaving kids locked up in the cells for hours on end. It’s time for the Victorian Government to stop taking short cuts and to start properly resourcing the youth justice system," the HRLC's Alina Leikin.
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New NT abortion law an important step forward for women’s health but further reform needed
“Unfortunately, as it stands, Territory women still run the risk of criminal prosecution for later term abortions. This is simply unacceptable and carries with it cruel consequences," said Adrianne Walters, Director of Legal Advocacy at the HRLC.
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Same sex couples in South Australia have equal access to IVF and legal surrogacy
As of today, same sex couples have equal access to assisted reproductive technology and unpaid surrogacy in South Australia. The last direct discrimination against LGBTIQ couples in South Australian legislation has now been removed, but federal marriage equality laws still need to be passed for same sex couples to be treated equally in Australia.
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Changes to race hate speech laws send wrong message to community
Proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act unveiled today by the Australian Government are unnecessary and risk encouraging racist hate speech in the community. The HRLC's Executive Director, Hugh de Kretser, said the Government has its priorities wrong.
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Victorian response to youth justice incidents headed in wrong direction: HRLC submission
The Victorian Government must address the underlying causes of damaging incidents in youth justice centres including staffing and lockdowns, the Human Rights Law Centre has said in a submission to a Victorian Parliamentary inquiry
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Kids in Barwon prison only let out of cells for single hour a day - handcuffed
Less then a month before the Supreme Court hears the third legal challenge to the Victorian Government's decision to detain children at the Barwon maximum security adult prison, lawyers are concerned that the use of extreme practices appears to be increasing.
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Tasmanian anti-protest laws unreasonably restrict free speech and protest: HRLC High Court submission
“We are seeing a clear and worrying wave of state-based laws that restrict the ability of Australians to stand together and speak out on issues that they care deeply about. The government may disagree with protesters' views on a particular issue, but shutting down peaceful assemblies only serves to weaken our democracy,” said HRLC's Emily Howie.
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High Court finds the exercise of Northern Territory’s punitive police lock-up powers lawful
“All the data shows that these laws are being overwhelmingly used against Aboriginal people. Twenty-six years ago the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody made clear that locking someone up should only ever be a last resort and that police should be required to consider safer options,” said HRLC's Adrianne Walters.
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Protection of human rights should guide Australia’s foreign policy: HRLC White Paper submission
In a submission filed with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consultation on a new Foreign Policy White Paper, the Human Rights Law Centre has urged Australia to raise the bar on its foreign policy and aim to be a principled and consistent leader in human rights and a staunch defender of international law.
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Turnbull urged to push for free media access to Papua during Jakarta visit and adopt safeguards in military cooperation
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull should make the most of his seemingly close relationship with Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo to push for unfettered media access and human rights monitoring in Papua.
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Australia falls short on its aim to lead global abolition of the death penalty
“Under current laws and guidelines, if the Bali 9 case happened again today, nothing would prevent the AFP from acting in the same way. Yesterday’s announcement of amending AFP guidelines does not change that. If the government were serious about prohibiting information sharing it would legislate to prevent it from happening,” said Emily Howie.
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100+ LGBTI groups and leaders welcome consensus Senate report and call for Parliament to deliver marriage equality in 2017
More than 100 Australian LGBTI groups and leaders including the Human Rights Law Centre have joined together in the wake of the Senate Inquiry Report into the Draft Amendment to the Marriage Act to voice their support for the example set by the committee and to urge the parliament to act on marriage equality for all Australians.
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No case to change Australia’s racial vilification laws
“The push to weaken the laws by some has run aground. It’s hard to imagine what those pushing for change want people to be able to say that they currently can’t. Any move to weaken the law itself would have sent a green light to racism,” said the Human Rights Law Centre’s Director of Legal Advocacy, Adrianne Walters.
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Same sex couples in South Australia to have access to IVF and unpaid surrogacy
Today the South Australian Parliament has passed a law allowing equal access to assisted reproductive treatment and unpaid surrogacy for same-sex couples. This removed the last direct legal discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people from the statute books of the state.
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Victorian Charter win on fair hearing rights for unrepresented litigants
In a recent Victorian decision, a mother and daughter, Betty and Maria Matsoukatidou, won an important Supreme Court Human Rights Charter case on the fair hearing and equality obligations owed by courts to self-represented litigants, and in particular those with learning disabilities.
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Royal Commission hearing regarding abuse of children the Australian Government holds on Nauru
“Any scrutiny of the Australian Government’s role in harming innocent children in its care is vital, welcome and overdue. After three and a half years of abuse, fear and limbo, we already know that warehousing kids in offshore facilities is inherently harmful,” said the Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre, Hugh de Kretser.
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Queensland parliament must seize opportunity to ensure safe and legal access to abortion services
Queensland MPs must urgently support abortion law reform to make Queensland law relevant to current clinical practice and community values, the Human Rights Law Centre said today.
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Adoption equality now a reality for South Australians
Today new adoption equality laws came into effect in South Australia allowing same-sex couples to adopt children in the state. South Australian law previously restricted adoption to married or de facto heterosexual couples.
Same-sex couples can now jointly adopt children across Australia in every state and territory except the Northern Territory.
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Disturbing reports of prison guards punching restrained boys held at Victoria’s Barwon maximum security adult prison
Disturbing details have emerged about the incident on Monday night at the Barwon maximum security adult prison where the Victorian Government is currently detaining around 21 boys aged between 15 and 18 years old.
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South Australian upper house passes motion backing marriage equality
This week, the South Australian Legislative Council passed a motion supporting marriage equality. The motion was brought by Greens MLC Tammy Franks and supported by ALP, Liberal and independent MLCs who all had a conscience vote on the motion.
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Senate report delivers political consensus for MPs to back marriage equality this year
Leading national marriage equality advocacy groups Australians for Equality (A4E) & Australian Marriage Equality (AME) today welcomed the release of a consensus report from the Senate Select Committee on the Government’s Draft Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill.
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NT abortion law reform Bill a step forward for women’s health but further reform needed
The Human Rights Law Centre welcomes the Termination of Pregnancy Law Reform Bill tabled in the Northern Territory Parliament today but argues that it doesn’t go far enough to truly modernise the Territory’s abortion laws and respect women as competent decision-makers.
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Australia's pledge to ratify torture prevention treaty an important step forward
The Human Rights Law Centre welcomes Commonwealth Attorney-General George Brandis' announcement today that Australia would ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and other mistreatment (OPCAT) by the end of the year.
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New legal action launched to get children out of Barwon adult jail
A new Supreme Court case has been launched against the Victorian Government by the Human Rights Law Centre to stop the use of Barwon prison to detain children.
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Moving youth justice to adult corrections the wrong approach
The Human Rights Law Centre is deeply concerned about today’s announcement that the Victorian Government will move the management of the youth justice system in Victoria to the department that manages adult prisons.
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Human Rights Law Centre joins call for all refugees and asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru to be brought to Australia immediately
Today the Human Rights Law Centre joined church groups, medical associations, academics and a coalition of organisations and community groups to call for all refugees and asylum seekers to be immediately evacuated from Nauru and Manus Island and brought to safety in Australia.
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Trump casts further doubt over increasingly uncertain US refugee deal
The future of the US refugee deal has again been thrown into doubt following reports that US President Donald Trump has called the agreement the ‘worst deal ever’.
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Serious assault on 16 year old boy further evidence that no child belongs in an adult prison
Tonight’s ABC 7.30 episode detailing the serious assault on a 16-year old boy is further evidence that the Victorian Government must immediately act to remove children from Victoria’s most notorious adult jail. The boy suffered a fractured vertebrae and serious injuries to his face and head after being assaulted by fellow inmates on Monday.
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Barwon incident further proof that no child should be held in an adult prison
The Human Rights Law Centre is deeply disturbed about an incident at the Barwon jail yesterday resulting in serious injuries to a 16 year old boy and the reported use of capsicum spray on others. The injured boy was hospitalised overnight after being assaulted by other boys and is now being moved to Malmsbury youth justice facility.
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Explainer: Children should not be held in adult prisons
On 17 November 2016, the Victorian Government decided to use the Grevillea Unit in the Barwon maximum security adult prison as a youth jail and started sending children as young as 15 there. This article explains why children do not belong in adult jails.
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Reports suggest the US refugee deal still has a pulse, but important questions remain unanswered
Media reports suggest that US President Donald Trump has today told Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that he will not quash the US refugee deal, but simple and important questions about the detail of the arrangements remain unanswered.
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Trump executive orders expose gaping holes in US refugee deal - Turnbull government must urgently find a humane way forward
Executive orders signed by US President Donald Trump, imposing a four month freeze on all refugee resettlement to the US and drastically reducing America’s refugee intake thereafter, have exposed further holes in the Turnbull Government’s already uncertain refugee deal.
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No justification for government to worsen privacy intrusions already caused by metadata retention scheme
Australia’s metadata retention regime should be overhauled to properly protect Australians from indiscriminate mass surveillance, the Human Rights Law Centre said in a submission to the Attorney-General’s Department today.
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Trump executive orders set to cast further doubt on Turnbull Government’s US refugee deal
Executive orders expected to be signed by US President Donald Trump, which would reportedly impose a temporary ban on most refugees and suspend visas for people from many refugee producing countries, have cast further doubt on the Turnbull Government’s already shaky US refugee deal.
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Marriage equality does not justify new exemptions to anti-discrimination laws
The Australian Government should allow for marriage equality without introducing new carve-outs from Australia’s anti-discrimination protections, said the Human Rights Law Centre today in its submission to a senate inquiry into the Government’s exposure draft Same-Sex Marriage Bill.
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Time for NT government to reform outdated abortion laws
The Northern Territory Government should demonstrate its commitment to women’s health and equality by modernising the Territory’s outdated abortion laws said the Human Rights Law Centre today in a submission to the Northern Territory Government’s discussion paper on abortion law reform.
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Government’s decision to regazette Barwon an extraordinary act of bad faith
The Government’s decision to regazette Barwon adult jail as a youth justice facility is an act of utter bad faith, say human rights lawyers.
Only yesterday the Victorian Court of Appeal upheld the Supreme Court’s decision that the Victorian Government acted unlawfully in gazetting Barwon adult prison as a youth justice facility.
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Media Release: Court of Appeal confirms transfer of children to Barwon adult jail was unlawful
The Victorian Court of Appeal today unanimously confirmed that the Victorian Government acted unlawfully in transferring children to the Barwon adult jail. The Court was hearing an appeal against last week's Supreme Court ruling.
Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said, “Jailing children in the state’s most notorious adult prison was a terrible mistake. The government needs to house these children in a safe, lawful and appropriate facility.”
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Court of Appeal to rule on legality of transfer of children to Barwon adult jail
The Victorian Court of Appeal will tomorrow hear the appeal against last week’s Supreme Court ruling that the Victorian Government acted unlawfully in transferring children to the Barwon adult jail. The Court of Appeal is expected to make its decision on the appeal at the end of tomorrow’s hearing.
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Strong and effective racial vilification laws must be maintained to combat racism in Australia
The Australian Government must maintain strong and effective laws against racial hatred the Human Rights Law Centre said today in its submission to a parliamentary inquiry.
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Supreme Court finds Government acted unlawfully in transferring children to Barwon jail
In a landmark case, the Supreme Court held that the Victorian Government’s decision to transfer children to Barwon maximum security adult jail was unlawful. The Court also found that the Government failed to properly consider the Victorian Charter of Human Rights.
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Decision to be handed down in legal challenge to transfer of children to Barwon adult jail
MEDIA ALERT
Date: Wednesday 21 December 2016
Time: 1.00pm
Location: On the steps of the Victorian Supreme Court, 210 William St, Melbourne
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IBAC announces charges against police in Horvath case, Victoria a step closer towards implementing UN recommendations
In November 2016, Victoria’s Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) announced that charges would be laid against a Leading Senior Constable of Victoria Police in relation to the brutal assault of Corinna Horvath nearly 20 years earlier.
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Farewell to the indomitable Rachel Ball
After more than 8 incredible years our Director of Advocacy, Rachel Ball, is leaving us to take up a new role as the Head of Public Policy and Advocacy for Oxfam Australia.
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Ms Dhu coroner finds death preventable and recommends end to imprisonment for unpaid fines
The tragic death of Ms Dhu could have been prevented, said the Western Australian State Coroner today. The Coroner found that many of the police officers entrusted with her care acted unprofessionally and treated Ms Dhu inhumanely.
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Family of Ms Dhu to hold Press Conference
MEDIA ALERT
Time: 8:45AM (AWST)
Date: Friday 16 December
Where: Steps of the Perth Central Law Courts, 501 Hay St, Perth WA 6000
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Decision in Ms Dhu’s death in custody inquest set for Friday
The Western Australian State Coroner will hand down her findings in the inquest into Ms Dhu’s death in custody this Friday. She will also decide on whether to release harrowing footage showing Ms Dhu’s final hours.
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Supreme Court case to stop children being sent to Barwon adult jail commences
The Supreme Court will today commence hearing the case against the Victorian Government to ensure no child is sent to Barwon maximum security adult jail. The Human Rights Law Centre and Fitzroy Legal Service are bringing the case after the government two weeks ago agreed not to transfer any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children to the prison.
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LGBTIQ advocates welcome equality reform in SA Parliament, but have concern over amendments
The South Australian upper house has passed a suite of bills that will advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) South Australians. The bills proposed a range of reforms including recognizing the relationships and families of same-sex couples and improved access to birth certificates for transgender and intersex people.
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Ethan just wants to be recognised for who he really is
Ethan realised when he was about 3 or 4 years old that, even though he didn’t know what trans was, he just didn’t feel like he was a girl. And even the support of a loving family couldn’t change the fact that he could face years of discrimination stemming from his birth certificate not reflecting his true gender.
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LGBTIQ community welcome equality reforms for gender identity in SA parliament
The South Australian upper house has passed a suite of bills that will be an enormous advance towards equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) South Australians. The bills proposed a range of reforms including recognizing the relationships and families of same-sex couples and improved access to birth certificates for transgender and intersex people.
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Your support has secured Moubani’s freedom. Your support is needed to end Nayser’s anguish.
In less than three weeks, over 100 children just like Moubani will experience their first Christmas in safety and freedom. This time last year they were trapped behind detention centre fences and terrified of being sent back to Nauru.
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Liberal National Coalition fails trans, gender diverse and intersex Victorians
Community leaders and rights advocates have condemned the Liberal National Coalition for their role in the defeat of legislation that was set to improve access to birth certificates for trans, gender diverse and intersex people
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A Year of Impact: Our Annual Report 2015-16
I’m proud to support the work of the Human Rights Law Centre as its new Chair and today, I’m pleased to launch our Annual Report for 2015/16 during our Human Rights Week Appeal.
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Support our impact and have your donation doubled during Human Rights Week
Today we are in the Supreme Court of Victoria arguing that no child should be detained in Barwon maximum security adult prison – the State’s hardest and most notorious jail.
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High Court to hear challenge to Northern Territory’s punitive police lock-up powers
The Northern Territory’s broad police protective custody powers will be scrutinized tomorrow in the High Court in a challenge brought by the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and the Human Rights Law Centre on behalf of Aboriginal man, Anthony Prior.
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Have your donation doubled during our Human Rights Week Appeal
Today marks the beginning of Human Rights Week, a fantastic opportunity to celebrate human rights and to double your human rights impact. Thanks to our generous sponsors, your donations will be matched – dollar for dollar this week only.
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Supreme Court set to hear case against children being sent to Barwon adult jail
The Supreme Court will tomorrow begin hearing the case against the Victorian Government to ensure no child is sent to Barwon maximum security adult jail.
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New legal action launched to get children out of Barwon adult jail
A new Supreme Court case has been launched against the Victorian Government to ensure no child is held in the Barwon maximum security adult prison.
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Historic apology and law reform pave the way for true equality for LGBTIQ people in South Australia
The state apology to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) people delivered by the South Australian Premier this afternoon was welcomed by community advocates, ahead of the expected passage of a suite of reforms to tackle discrimination against LGBTIQ people.
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Strong and effective racial vilification laws needed to stop the spread of racial hatred
The Australian Government must maintain strong and effective laws against racial hatred, Aboriginal, ethnic and human rights organisations said today in a joint letter that responds to the inquiry into the racial vilification protections in the Racial Discrimination Act.
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Government backs down on transfers of Aboriginal children to adult prison, but transfers of non-Indigenous kids set to continue
The Andrews Government has today taken the extraordinary step and agreed not to transfer any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children to Barwon maximum security adult prison.
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Further details of Victorian Government’s settlement with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service
FURTHER DETAILS: As part of the last minute back down, the Victorian Government has committed not to transfer any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child to an adult jail. The only extremely limited possibility for transfers is in exceptional circumstances and, even then, only on the advice of the Aboriginal Children’s Commissioner that the transfer is in the best interests of that child.
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Children being held in appalling conditions at Barwon adult prison
Lawyers who visited children held at Barwon maximum security adult prison yesterday say that the conditions are cruel and intolerable.
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Legal challenge to Victorian Government’s cruel decision to warehouse children in maximum security adult jail
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) has filed a case in the Victorian Supreme Court challenging the lawfulness of the Government’s decision to send Aboriginal children as young as 16 years to Barwon maximum security adult prison.
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Lifetime ban law – Unjust, unlawful and unnecessary
The Human Rights Law Centre told the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee the proposed ‘lifetime ban’ for people who are living in our community, or who have been warehoused on Nauru or Manus Island is both cruel and unnecessary, and would permanently separate families.
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Lawyers say children should not be sent to adult prison
Lawyers and advocates were today told that transfers of children from youth detention facilities to Victoria’s maximum-security adult prison are imminent.
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UN human rights expert condemns Australia’s punitive refugee policies
The UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, François Crépeau, today condemned the Australian Government’s treatment of refugees and people seeking asylum, saying that Australia’s human rights record has been tarnished.
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Incredible opportunity to work in our Indigenous Rights Unit
We are currently seeking a Senior Policy Advocate for a 9 month parental leave backfill position. The Senior Policy Advocate will lead the Unit’s work in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ over-imprisonment, particularly young peoples’ over-imprisonment, alongside the Unit’s Director and Lawyer.
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Exciting opportunity to join the Human Rights Law Centre
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced lawyer and advocate. We are currently seeking a Director of Advocacy to lead our work on business and human rights. The successful candidate will also be required to work on our other strategic priority areas and assume a leadership role within the organisation, in particular by managing aspects of the centre’s legal practice in its Melbourne office.
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Queensland commits to a Human Rights Act
In October 2016, Queensland Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk announced at state conference her cabinet’s commitment to introduce a Human Rights Act in Queensland. If passed, Queensland will become the third Australian jurisdiction to protect and promote human rights in law. The announcement comes of the back of a community campaign for human rights protection in Queensland.
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LGBTIQ community advocates & families welcome equality reforms in parliament
Door stop and photo opportunity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) community advocates and families ahead of vote in SA parliament on LGBTIQ equality bills.
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Government finally concedes Manus and Nauru unsustainable, but offers no clear path forward and foreshadows deportations
After three years the Australian Government has finally acknowledged that our offshore centres on Nauru and Manus Islands are unsustainable and that it needs to find a way forward. However, today’s announcement reveals it still hasn’t found one.
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Media Alert - Press Conference: Refugee resettlement deal
Human rights groups including the Human Rights Law Centre, GetUp, the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce, the Refugee Council of Australia and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre respond to the Turnbull Government’s announcement of a refugee settlement deal.
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Shocking rates of Aboriginal homelessness and overcrowding must be examined by Royal Commission
Aboriginal and human rights organisations have said high rates of homelessness and overcrowding must be considered by the NT Royal Commission as key drivers of Aboriginal children entering the child protection and youth detention systems.
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LGBTI groups call on the parliament to achieve marriage equality this term
A network of more than 90 LGBTI organisations and leaders across the nation have signed a joint statement calling on supporters of marriage equality in the parliament to unite and work together to find a pathway to achieve marriage equality in this term of Parliament.
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Youth detention inquiries told that current laws breach human rights
The Human Rights Law Centre has told the Northern Territory Royal Commission and the Queensland youth justice review that current youth justice laws breach children’s human rights and must be changed.
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Human Rights Law Centre condemns secretive deportation to Nauru
The Human Rights Law Centre has condemned the Turnbull Government’s secretive deportation of a man from Australia to Nauru last night.
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Government must immediately clarify whether lifetime visa ban would apply to 320 people already in our community
The Human Rights Law Centre has called on the Turnbull Government to urgently clarify whether or not its proposed ‘lifetime ban’ will apply to over 320 men, women and children who are already in the community after being brought back to Australia from Manus and Nauru, many of whom the HRLC represents.
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Government's changes to Migration Act would permanently split families and condemn thousands to limbo
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull this morning announced government plans to amend the Migration Act to permanently ban people seeking asylum in Australia by sea from ever being able to stay or from ever coming to Australia to visit loved ones.
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High Court to hear challenge to Northern Territory’s punitive police lock-up powers
The Northern Territory’s harsh police protective custody powers will come under scrutiny after the High Court agreed to hear a legal challenge brought by the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) on behalf of Mr Anthony Prior.
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LGBTI groups and leaders call for parliament to block the plebiscite and provide a parliamentary pathway
A network of almost 90 LGBTI organisations and leaders have again come together releasing a statement calling for parliament to block the plebiscite legislation.
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Ban Ki-moon appoints high-ranking official to combat reprisals against human rights defenders
The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, unveiled a much-needed initiative to help combat the growing problem of governments preventing human rights defenders from engaging with the UN or punishing and even imprisoning them when they do so.
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LGBTI groups and leaders call for parliament to block the plebiscite and provide a parliamentary pathway
A network of almost 90 LGBTI organisations and leaders have again come together releasing a statement calling for parliament to block the plebiscite legislation.
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UN warns of diminishing democratic freedoms in Australia
Australia is failing to provide a safe and free environment for civil society and to ensure that people are free to speak out and peacefully protest on issues that they care about, said a UN Human Rights expert today. Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, has been in Australia for a two-week official visit, meeting with government, MPs and civil society organisations.
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Principled human rights leadership – exciting expansion to Sydney
After 10 years of impact working as a national human rights organisation out of Melbourne, the Human Rights Law Centre has opened a Sydney office.
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Stories of children on Nauru show it’s well and truly time to bring them here
Monday night’s Four Corners episode, The Forgotten Children: The young refugees stranded on Nauru, is further evidence that all people currently warehoused by the Australian government on Nauru and Manus must immediately be brought to safety in Australia.
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First government marriage equality bill released with discriminatory exemptions
Overnight the Government released the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill, which proposes marriage equality but contains concerning exemptions that would allow discrimination against same-sex couples.
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Continuing attacks against refugees on Manus Island show the Australian government must #BringThemHere
Continuing violent attacks against refugees on Manus Island are further evidence that Australia’s offshore detention centres must close and that the innocent people held there for the last three years must be brought to safety in Australia.
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Queensland should seize historic moment to reform abortion laws
Queensland has an historic opportunity to bring its abortion laws into line with clinical practice and common sense, the Human Rights Law Centre told Queensland parliament this week.
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WA Coroner reserves decision on application to release footage of Ms Dhu’s death in custody
Today the Western Australian Coroner conducting the inquest into Ms Dhu’s death in custody reserved the decision to publicly release harrowing footage of Ms Dhu’s death. The Coroner will deliver the decision at a date in the future.
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Family of Ms Dhu to hold press conference
Today the Western Australian Coroner presiding over the inquest into Ms Dhu’s death in custody will consider whether to publicly release harrowing footage of Ms Dhu’s death.
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Australia must bring youth justice in line with international standards
Australia’s youth justice practices breach international human rights law, Amnesty International and the Human Rights Law Centre told the United Nations in a statement read before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
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Border Force Act positions Australia alongside coterie of human rights abusing states
The secrecy provisions of the 2015 Border Force Act have compromised Australians’ basic democratic rights and damaged Australia’s international standing, the Human Rights Law Centre told the United Nations overnight in a statement to the Human Rights Council.
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Obama summit announcement does nothing to address suffering in offshore camps
Today’s announcement by the Australian government at the Obama Leaders’ Summit on the Global Refugee Crisis doesn’t address the future of around 2000 people currently languishing in offshore camps on Manus Island and Nauru said the Human Rights Law Centre, Getup and the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce.
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Nayser missed the boat ... and now he's being forced to miss his family
Fleeing persecution, Nayser Ahmed was separated from his family en route to Australia. While they rebuild their lives in Sydney, he remains stuck on Manus Island. In this Fairfax produced video Daniel Webb speaks to The Age's Nick McKenzie about Nayser and his family and the situation for the men on Manus Island. Watch video here.
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Stories to support birth certificate reforms
The Human Rights Law Centre worked with Transgender Victoria, FTM Shed, Minus 18 and other trans, gender diverse and intersex organisations to put together a video to inform parliamentarians about the importance of reforms to Victoria’s birth certificate laws. Watch the video here.
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LGBTI groups release a joint statement on the plebiscite
A network of organisations and leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities released a statement today condemning the Plebiscite (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill.
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Birth certificate reforms will deliver respect and recognition for trans, gender diverse and intersex Victorians
On Tuesday, the Victorian Legislative Assembly will debate proposed birth certificate reforms that will remove barriers for trans, gender diverse and intersex people accessing birth certificates that reflect the gender they live as.
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Top constitutional experts say no problem with "self executing" plebiscite
Advice from one of Australia’s top constitutional barristers, Bret Walker SC, has confirmed that there are no legal barriers to the parliament introducing amendments to the Marriage Act that would come into force automatically upon a successful plebiscite vote.
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#BringThemHere: Human Rights Law Centre and GetUp launch stories of men trapped on Manus Island
The Human Rights Law Centre and GetUp are launching a major campaign today featuring the stories of the men imprisoned on Manus Island and their families in Australia, calling on the government to allow the men be brought to safety in Australia to rebuild their lives.
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Immediate action necessary to protect children in NT detention
As the Northern Territory’s Royal Commission holds its first public hearing, leading Indigenous and human rights organisations are calling on the Federal and Northern Territory Governments to immediately protect the human rights of young people currently in detention.
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Wilson Security announcement further proof there is no business in abuse
The Australian Government’s offshore detention regime edged closer to collapse today as Wilson Security committed not to retender for any further offshore detention services when its current contract expires in 2017.
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Queensland rejects moves to modernise abortion law
A Queensland parliamentary committee has rejected a proposal to bring Queensland’s abortion laws into line with clinical practice and common sense. At the same time the committee neglected to recommend a clear path for long overdue law reform.
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Royal Commission into youth detention in the Northern Territory
The Human Rights Law Centre welcomed the announcement by the Turnbull Government of a Royal Commission into youth detention in the Northern Territory. The HRLC had expressed extreme disappointment over the government’s lack of consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations when initially announcing the inquiry.
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Blueprint for action on business and human rights
Leading Australian NGOs have provided the Government with a blueprint for action on business and human rights. A joint statement released today by the Australian Human Rights Commission sets out a suite of recommendations for Australia’s implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
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Birth certificate reforms a step forward for transgender equality
New legislation introduced by the Victorian Government into parliament today will remove barriers to trans, gender diverse and intersex people accessing birth certificates that reflect their gender identity.
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Media Release: Manus detention facility to close – time to #BringThemHere
The Prime Minister of PNG, Peter O’Neil today announced that the Australian-run detention centre on Manus Island is to be closed. While not committing to a specific date, O’Neil said in a statement that “Both Papua New Guinea and Australia are in agreement that the centre is to be closed.”
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Violent attacks on Manus Island show it is time to #BringThemHere
Violent attacks on refugees on Manus Island are further evidence that Australia’s offshore detention centres must close and the innocent people held there for the last three years must be brought to Australia.
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UN human rights chief calls for Australian action on ‘dire’ Nauru situation
The UN’s human rights chief, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed extreme concern about the serious allegations of violence, sexual assault, degrading treatment and self-harm contained in leaked incident reports from Australia’s offshore processing centre on Nauru.
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Royal Commission has Nauru jurisdiction legal advice says
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has the power to examine the response of the Australian Government and its contractors to child sexual abuse on Nauru, according to legal advice released today.
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Human rights groups launch #BringThemHere campaign
Following today’s release of leaked incident reports from Australia’s detention centre on Nauru, a coalition of human rights and refugee organisations have called on the Australian Government to urgently bring the people seeking asylum to Australia.
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UN human rights chief condemns abuse of children in the Northern Territory
The UN’s human rights chief, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Australia to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.
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Royal Commission welcome but lack of Indigenous consultation disappointing
The Human Rights Law Centre expresses extreme disappointment over the lack of consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations.
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Human rights groups call out the financial sector’s association with abuse
Australia’s abusive offshore detention centres are sustained by a vast network of global banks and investment funds that are failing to meet their responsibility to respect human rights.
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Positive reforms of Victoria’s Human Rights Charter announced but more needed
The Victorian Government today announced support in full or in part for 45 of the 52 recommendations made through the independent Human Rights Charter Review.
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Aboriginal organisations, doctors and lawyers say NT’s failed alcohol laws should be scrapped
On the eve of a case in the Northern Territory Supreme Court challenging the Alcohol Protection Order regime, Aboriginal organisations, doctors and lawyers have united in calling on the Northern Territory Government to rethink harmful alcohol laws that negatively impact Aboriginal people.
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Stronger recognition for same-sex couples in Victoria
With the future of marriage equality in Australia uncertain, same-sex couples in Victoria will now benefit from a raft of changes that improve recognition of their relationships.
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Queenslanders deserve a Human Rights Act with real teeth
Yesterday Queensland’s Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee released a report recommending that Queensland introduce a Human Rights Act.
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Queensland parliament should seize the opportunity to modernise abortion laws
Queensland must reform its outdated abortion laws, the Human Rights Law Centre said in a submission to the Queensland Parliament’s inquiry into abortion law reform. The HRLC called on the Queensland government to decriminalise abortion and ensure women can safely access abortion services.
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Historic UN vote: Human Rights Council votes for new LGBT Expert
In a historic vote, the United Nations Human Rights Council has agreed to appoint an Independent Expert dedicated to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people from violence and discrimination worldwide.
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Defending voting rights in Australia
At Saturday’s election, an estimated 400,000 people will vote who, if it wasn’t for our legal action, might otherwise have been prevented from voting. Their votes may well decide who governs our country.
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Historic support for UN vote for LGBT Independent Expert
The United Nations Human Rights Council is on the cusp of establishing an Independent Expert to tackle violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Human Rights Law Centre joined in a statement delivered to the Council in Geneva overnight supported by 627 civil society organisations representing 151 countries.
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Refugee Week - Celebrating the contributions of refugees to Australia
Australia is a multicultural success story and the contribution of refugees are a key part of that success. Australia has successfully accepted over 7 million migrants since 1945 including around 800,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants.
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10 Years of Impact: End of Financial Year Appeal
This year marks our ten year anniversary. For ten years we’ve delivered justice for individuals and systemic change; for Indigenous peoples; for people seeking asylum and refugees; for LGBTI people, women and more.
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Australian Government out of step in protecting children’s rights
The Commonwealth Government should ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), and all states and territories should increase the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years, the Human Rights Law Centre has said in a submission to the Federal Children’s Commissioner.
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Support a strong voice for a healthy democracy
Unfortunately, we are witnessing the unmistakeable trend of governments chipping away at many of our vital democratic foundations. Press freedom is being undermined, critical voices are being stifled and governments are eroding the right of Australians to gather and speak out about issues that they care about.
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Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct
Each year the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) hosts the Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct where representatives from civil society, business, governments and trade unions meet to discuss and promote better business practices.
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CRC25: Australian Child Rights Progress Report
25 years since Australia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), one in six children in Australia live below the poverty line and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children continue to face significant disadvantage.
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"I just want my child to have a decent life somewhere safe"
Subaita and Moubani faced imminent deportation to Nauru. Terrified at the prospect of raising a child in an offshore camp we know is harmful and unsafe, Subaita asked for our help.
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10 Years of Impact: Human Rights Law Centre Dinners 2016
Thanks to everyone who helped make the 10 Years of Impact: Human Rights Dinners in Melbourne and Sydney such a success. Much fun was had and the events raised over $90,000. Thanks to all who either bid competitively in our fundraising auctions or generously made donations. This support is absolutely critical to our work.
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"The HRLC stood with me. Will you stand by them?"
Three weeks ago I sat in parliament to hear Daniel Andrews, the Premier of Victoria, apologise to me. He apologised for old unjust laws that criminalised homosexual conduct.
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Support quality journalism and human rights: 20% of subscriptions to The Saturday Paper will go to the HRLC
To support/coincide with our End-of-Financial-Year Fundraising Appeal, our friends at The Saturday Paper will donate 20% to us from every subscription they receive from June 7 to July 7 using the promo code GiveHRLC.
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Ten Years of Impact: For ten years we’ve defended human rights in Australia
This year marks our ten year anniversary. For ten years we’ve delivered justice for individuals and systemic change; for Indigenous peoples; for people seeking asylum and refugees; for LGBTI people, women and more.
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Farewell to brilliant Ben Schokman
After 10 incredible years our Director of Advocacy, Ben Schokman, has decided the time is right for him to pursue new challenges and opportunities.
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Expungement Legal Service – free legal help for people found guilty of historic homosexual offences
The HRLC's Expungement Legal Service can assist people to apply for historical convictions for decriminalised homosexual activity to be expunged. We provide free and confidential legal help to anyone affected by these laws in Victoria. Our team is staffed by LGBTIQ identifying lawyers and includes a volunteer lawyer with personal experience of the climate and police attitudes before the old laws were repealed.
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