A new report highlights various ways in which Australia's co-operation with Sri Lanka’s military puts asylum seekers at risk. The report includes a DFAT cable obtained under Freedom of Information laws that reveals the Australia Federal Police declined to interview a man claiming to have been severely tortured after being sent back to Sri Lanka by Australia.
Read MoreA new report has found that Australia’s cooperation with Sri Lanka to prevent would-be-refugees from seeking protection is riddled with human rights risks and should be stopped immediately.
Read MoreThe Melbourne City Council is facing legal action over its failure to ensure safe access medical services at an East Melbourne health clinic.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre today rejected comments by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle who claimed the Melbourne City Council felt “impotent” to act against anti-abortion protestors who for decades have beset the East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic. Cr Doyle welcomed new laws allowing police to move on protesters and said they would help remove the protestors from the front of the clinic.
Read MoreAustralia must review its offshore processing arrangements with PNG and Nauru to ensure the basic rights of asylum seekers are being respected, says the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. Ms Pillay has released the opening statement on her 2013 Annual Report, discussing issues of worldwide human rights concern.
Read MoreAdvocates for sex and gender diverse communities will make written submission in a landmark case before the High Court examining whether legal documents should recognise sex categories other than just male and female.
Read MoreIt has been discovered that the acting head of the Manus Island detention centre on PNG is a former Sri Lankan military commander. Among the detainees at Manus Island are 30 Tamil asylum seekers – people who may well have experienced significant suffering at the hands of the Sri Lankan military.
Read MoreR. P. B. v the Philippines, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Views: Communication No 34/2011, 57th sess, UN Doc CEDAW/C/57/D/34/2011 (23 May 2011)
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has found that the Philippines breached the rights of a mute and hearing impaired girl to non-discrimination under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in the investigation and trial of her alleged rape. The Philippines had, in investigating the crime and in the trial, failed to provide a free interpreter and had used stereotypes and gender-based myths, disregarding the victim’s specific situation as a girl who is both mute and hearing impaired. The Committee noted that the obligations of the State include the obligation to consider the specific situation of the complainant, being her age and disability.
Read MoreOn 12 December the Senate announced an inquiry into the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. The Act, among other things, allows for the interception and access of telecommunications data by Government agencies in certain circumstances. In some cases this means access by local governments and agencies to your personal data without a warrant, or indeed any judicial oversight
Read MoreA new complaints mechanism under the UN Convention on Rights of Child is about to take effect. On 14 January 2014, Costa Rica became the tenth state to ratify the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, meaning that three months’ time, on 14 April 2014, the complaints mechanism will come into force.
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From 20-28 November 2013, Australia joined 121 other States Parties, members of civil society and other stakeholders in The Hague for the 12th annual Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). As the governing and legislative body of the ICC, the ASP discusses and decides on issues central to the Court's operations. The main topics of debate set for the 12th session were cooperation and the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims; however, at the request of the African Union, a special segment was held on the indictment of sitting heads of State and government and its consequences for peace, stability, and reconciliation.
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Urgent action from the United Nations has been requested in an attempt to prevent the Queensland Government from passing draconian youth justice laws. The reforms include removing the principle that the detention of juveniles be a measure of last resort.
Read MoreGiving evidence to a parliamentary inquiry today, the HRLC’s Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, said proposed reforms place ASIO assessments at the centre of refugee processing but contain no safeguards to ensure the security assessment process is fair or accountable.
Read MoreProposed new ‘move-on’ powers for police in Victoria will unreasonably limit human rights and are susceptible to misuse. The Human Rights Law Centre’s Executive Director, Hugh de Kretser, said protest rights and free speech are particularly threatened, but the proposed laws may also have an impact on young people and the homeless.
Read MoreWhen it comes to protecting people from serious human rights violations, we need a better system than one depending entirely on non-reviewable decisions made by the Immigration Minister, the HRLC has said in a submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee.
Read MoreThe Australian Government should scrap discriminatory laws that prevent persons “of unsound mind” from voting, the Human Rights Law Centre has said in a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission.
Read MoreThe Queensland Government should scrap plans to introduce voter ID laws that could unnecessarily prevent an unknown number of Queenslanders from voting, the Human Rights Law Centre has told a parliamentary committee.
Read MoreThe rights of refugees shouldn’t be contingent on secretive, non-reviewable ASIO assessments, the HRLC has said in a submission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee.
Read MoreRights groups have welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement today that it will legislate to erase the criminal records of homosexual men who were convicted for having consensual sex in the past when it was illegal.
Read MoreGender stereotyping and discrimination undermine women’s rights to equality before the law and a fair trial, particularly in the case of sexual offences.
Read MoreFreedom of speech is a right which throws up particular challenges as we seek to maintain, and indeed strengthen, social cohesion in contemporary Australia. It throws up those challenges because the balance between freedom of speech and other fundamental human rights needs always to be responsive to present circumstances.
Read MoreThe Parliamentary Committee that conducted an inquiry into NSW racial vilification laws tabled its Final Report on 3 December 2013. The Law and Justice Committee of the NSW Legislative Council was charged with a review of section 20D of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), which sets out the criminal offence for serious racial vilification. The Human Rights Law Centre made a submission to the inquiry earlier this year.
Read MoreOn 21 November 2013 Queensland’s Attorney-General, Jarrod Bleijie, introduced the Electoral Reform Amendment Bill into Queensland’s parliament. Among other things, the bill contains provisions to give effect to Queensland’s new policy in which voters in Queensland elections must show identification in order to be able to vote.
Read MoreOn behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs, the Commission’s President, has welcomed the appointment of the Commission’s seventh Commissioner, Mr Tim Wilson.
Read MoreThe Australian Government’s decision to cut funds to vital Aboriginal legal services will make justice more remote for Australia’s most marginalised and disadvantaged communities.
Read MoreThank you to all our supporters who generously donated to our Human Rights Week Challenge 2013.
Your support, and the matching donations of King & Wood Mallesons, Allens, Oak Foundation and our board members, raised over $100,000 toward vital human rights litigation, education and advocacy.
Read MoreAlthough disappointed that the High Court has today overturned the ACT’s new same-sex marriage laws, marriage equality advocates have welcomed the court’s confirmation that the Federal Parliament does have the ability to legislate for marriage equality.
Read MoreAttorney-General George Brandis has asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to audit Commonwealth laws to identify laws that “encroach upon traditional rights, freedoms and privileges” and assess whether the encroachment is justified.
Read MoreAlthough disappointed that the High Court has today overturned the ACT’s new same-sex marriage laws, marriage equality advocates have welcomed the court’s confirmation that the Federal Parliament does have the ability to legislate for marriage equality.
Read MoreA damning report into the operation of Victoria’s corrections system has identified the mistreatment of young people in detention and again highlighted the need for a fully independent prison watchdog. The Victorian Ombudsman’s report follows an investigation into the mistaken transfer of five children into the adult prison system.
Read MoreRacism remains widespread in the community and important protections against racial vilification must be retained in Australian law, says a broad coalition of organisations.
Read MoreRacism remains widespread in the community and important protections against racial vilification must be retained in Australian law, says a broad coalition of organisations.
Read MoreWe’re pleased to present our 2012/13 Annual Report. The quality, volume and impact of the work detailed in this report is a great example of why donations to the Human Rights Law Centre were this year ranked as one of the Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts ever made in Australia.
Read MoreMarriage equality advocates, defending laws allowing same-sex couples to marry, will tomorrow apply to intervene in the Australian Government’s attempt to strike down the ACT's new same-sex marriage laws in the High Court.
Read MoreAustralian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been asked to revoke his statement, made during his recent visit to Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth summit, that suggested that the use of torture can be justified in “difficult circumstances”.
Read MoreA new report by the HRLC's Rachel Ball considers the benefits and challenges of storytelling in human rights and social justice advocacy. The report, ‘When I Tell My Story, I’m in Charge: Ethical and Effective Storytelling in Advocacy’, sets out a range of approaches, techniques and examples to inform community legal centres in their advocacy efforts for systemic change.
Read MoreIf we don't stand against war crimes and crimes against humanity resulting in the death of 40,000 people, what do we stand for? asks the HRLC's Emily Howie
Read MoreAustralia must publicly acknowledge and condemn the human rights and rule of law crisis in Sri Lanka particularly given the escalation of international condemnation of Sri Lanka’s human rights record ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) in Colombo.
Read MoreUsing aid to offset asylum seeker costs is regarded by many people as an abuse – but that is not the worst of it writes Robin Davies, the Associate Director of the Development Policy Centre at the Australian National University.
Read MoreWhat does it mean to have a non-conforming sex, sexual orientation or gender identity? What counts as serious harm? Can effective protection be found elsewhere? These are just a few of the recurring questions that confront lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) asylum seekers seeking refuge from persecution.
Read MoreThe Department of Justice has conducted an extensive review of sexual offences in Victoria and has prepared a consultation paper which identifies and analyses the main problems with sexual offence laws.
Read MoreThe NSW Government is seeking to restrict the defence of provocation under a new Bill released for discussion on 17 October 2013.
Read MoreThe Senate Committee on Community Affairs has released a report following an inquiry into the forced sterilisation on intersex infants. The practice of surgery on intersex infants raises serious human rights concerns, given that the surgery is not undertaken with consent and is irreversible.
Read MoreThe Australian Law Reform Commission has released the Issues Paper, Serious Invasions of Privacy in the Digital Era (ALRC Issues Paper 43, 2013), to begin the consultation process for its invasions of privacy Inquiry.
Read MoreThe report on the findings of the sixth Scanlon Foundation Mapping Social Cohesion Survey, conducted in 2013, has recently been published. This report builds on the knowledge gained through the five earlier Scanlon Foundation surveys conducted in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion provides an overview in the five core domains of social cohesion: belonging, worth, social justice, participation, and acceptance and rejection.
Read MoreAmnesty International has recently released a report on US drone strikes in Pakistan. This report is not a comprehensive survey of US drone strikes in Pakistan; it is a qualitative assessment based on detailed field research into nine of the 45 reported strikes that occurred in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal agency between January 2012 and August 2013 and a survey of publicly available information on all reported drone strikes in Pakistan over that period.
Read Morenew expert panel report, entitled The Health Effects of Conducted Energy Weapons, was released by the Council of Canadian Academies in collaboration with the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
Read MoreThe Asian Human Rights Commission and Human Rights and Peace for Papua launched a report on the human rights abuses that took place in the central highlands of Papua, Indonesia between 1977–1978.The report discusses violations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and aims at truth-building. The report, which was concluded after three years of research by the AHRC, reveals the death of over 4,000 indigenous Papuans, including minors, as a result of operations conducted by the Indonesian military in the area.
Read MoreTwo weeks after being announced as one of Australia’s Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts ever, the seed funding for the Human Rights Law Centre yesterday came in at number three in the People’s Choice award.
Read MoreAustralia should come clean about its role in the controversial American armed drone program after two United Nations human rights experts called for an end to the secrecy shrouding the US program.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre and has made public the legal advice it obtained from Mr Bret Walker SC and Perry Herzfeld, on behalf of Australian Marriage Equality, that confirms that the NSW Same-Sex Marriage Bill would be constitutionally valid. The advice follows reports that the Bill will be introduced and debated in the NSW Upper House on October 31st.
Read MoreLeading constitutional law experts have warned that the ACT’s marriage equality reforms will remain vulnerable to a High Court challenge unless they the ACT Government delivers on its commitment to pass amendments next week.
Read MoreEmily Howie, Director – Advocacy & Research at the Human Rights Law Centre, argues that an unusual admission of regret by one of America’s top judges throws new light on Queensland’s misguided attempts to tackle the non-existent problem of voter fraud.
Read MoreA “game changing” expert legal opinion has found that a state-based same-sex marriage law proposed in Tasmania is constitutionally valid.
Read MoreThe Government’s $42 million funding cut to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services will exacerbate the shocking rate of Indigenous over-imprisonment writes Carolyn Bond AO from the Community Law Australia campaign.
Read MoreWhen Australia – one of the ICC’s strongest supporters – was elected to the Security Council for 2013 and 2014, Amnesty International and other supporters of international justice hoped that it would work to challenge many aspects of the Security Council’s approach writes Amnesty International's Legal Adviser, Jonathan O'Donohue.
Read MoreQueensland’s Newman government says it will change laws that protect juvenile offenders' identities next year to allow the names of children as young as 10 to be revealed if they commit a second offence.
Read MoreFrom 15-17 November 2013, Sri Lanka will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, following which Sri Lanka will chair the Commonwealth for two years. Many rights groups have raised concerns about Sri Lanka’s suitability to host CHOGM, and to hold the position as chair, given the serious human rights issues that remain unresolved in the country.
Read MoreProposed legislation for the G20 in Queensland would infringe fundamental human rights and stifle legitimate protest, the Human Rights Law Centre has told the Queensland parliament’s Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee.
Read MoreThe donations that established the Human Rights Law Centre, the first Australian legal centre dedicated to human rights law, have been announced as one of Australia’s Top 50 Philanthropic Gifts of all time.
Read MoreThe High Court has dismissed an appeal against a mandatory minimum sentence imposed under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth). The Human Rights Law Centre is disappointed by the decision in Bonang Darius Magaming v The Queen, which reveals gaps in human rights protection in Australia’s laws.
Read MoreJubilee Australia has a new campaign to stop the abuses of Australian companies overseas and to increase their accountability to people around the world.
Read MoreOn 4 September, the UK introduced a new national action plan entitled “Good Business: Implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights”. The action plan is intended to help UK companies understand and manage human rights and to articulate the UK Government’s expectations about business behaviour, both in the UK and overseas.
Read More“Free speech is the cornerstone of democracy. Australian law must adequately protect essential democratic rights such as freedom of expression and the right to peaceful assembly. Whilst the decision is a mixed bag, it is an important vindication for the protestors who believed that the actions taken against them where arbitrary and unlawful," said Ms Brown.
Read MoreIn a case about free speech and protest rights, the Federal Court has today found that council by-laws regarding advertising and camping do not infringe human rights, but some of the ways in which they were used by the City of Melbourne against a group of peaceful protesters in a public space were unlawful.
Read MoreOn 26 September 2013, the Tasmanian parliament passed the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2012 (Tas) that introduced new protections against discrimination and offensive conduct and also improved the capacity of the Tasmanian Anti-Discrimination Commissioner to deal with complaints.
Read MoreSeptember 2013: The Human Rights Law Centre's Director of Communications, Tom Clarke, speaks to ABC News24's Weekend Breakfast show about new Prime Minister Tony Abbott's first trip to Indonesia and the pressing need to raise concerns about the human rights situation in West Papua.
Read MorePrime Minister Tony Abbott has been urged to use his first visit to Indonesia tomorrow to cast aside the wilful blindness previous Australian Governments have had when it comes to the serious human rights violations occurring a stone's throw away in Indonesia's Papua provinces.
Read MoreThe head of a UN-appointed inquiry into human rights in North Korea reported that testimony heard so far by his panel pointed to widespread and serious violations in every area it had been asked to investigate. “What we have seen and heard so far – the specificity, detail and shocking character of the personal testimony – appears without doubt to demand follow-up action by the world community, and accountability on the part of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Michael Kirby, chair of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in the DPRK, said in an oral update to the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council.
Read MoreAustralia is violating the fundamental human rights of people seeking its protection, the UN Human Rights Council will hear this evening.
Read MoreIn the wake of new federal anti-discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status, Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 has stalled in the parliament.
Read MoreThis election marriage equality has received an unprecedented level of coverage. However lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights are broader than simply marriage equality.
Read MoreAustralian Ambassador to Russia, Paul Myler, has expressed deep concern about Russia’s ‘homosexual propaganda’ laws. The Ambassador urges Russia to recognise that human rights are universal, indivisible and independent and should be available to all people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Read MoreThe Asia Pacific Forum has produced a new resource aimed at helping national human rights institutions (NHRI) investigate allegations of human rights violations.
Read MoreRegardless of your political allegiances, we hope you can take a moment to appreciate the fundamental democratic freedoms we enjoy in Australia and join us in working to protect and strengthen them even further.
Read MoreTasmania’s acting Commissioner for Children Elizabeth Daly has released the Alternatives to Secure Youth Detention in Tasmania report advocating for a justice reinvestment framework. The report calls for young offenders to be diverted away from the criminal justice system in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Read MoreFormer High Court Judge Ian Callinan’s Review of the Parole System in Victoria recommends that the Victorian Parole Board remain exempt from procedural fairness and human rights protections under the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
Read MoreMarginalised communities risk being shut out of the democratic process by proposed laws requiring voters to show ID in order to cast a vote in Queensland elections.
Read MoreThe fatal shooting of a man last night in Windsor by a Victoria Police officer highlights the need for independent investigations into police-related deaths. The Human Rights Law Centre’s Director of Advocacy and Strategic Litigation, Anna Brown, said that the current practice of police investigating themselves undermined public confidence in police and breached international human rights guarantees.
Read MoreThe UN Human Rights Committee has found that Australia’s indefinite detention of 46 recognised refugees (42 Tamils from Sri Lanka, three Rohingya from Myanmar and a Kuwaiti) held in immigration detention for over two and a half years on ‘security grounds’ was inflicting serious psychological harm and amounted to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to article 7 of the ICCPR.
Read MoreIn a joint letter, the Human Rights Law Centre and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have asked the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism to expand a current investigation into the civilian impact of US drone strikes so it also examines Australia's role in locating targets through operations at the joint Aus/US Pine Gap military base.
Read MoreUrgent reform is needed to Victoria Police training and policies to end the harm caused by racial discrimination and deliver more efficient and effective policing.
Read MoreThe refugee policy unveiled by the Opposition is cruel, violates international human rights law and it does nothing to address the underlying problem.
Read MoreKaren was farewelled by the Victorian human rights community in a function held at the Commission’s offices in Carlton in July. Staff, government representatives and community leaders alike spoke of her capacity for innovation and strategic thinking to achieve practical outcomes and positive change. Her leadership, drive and appetite for tackling challenging and significant human rights issues will certainly be missed.
Read MoreThe Victorian Government has appointed Australia’s first Aboriginal Children's Commissioner. The newly-appointed Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, Andrew Jackomos, will focus on reducing the high number of Aboriginal children who are in the justice system or who are at risk of abuse.
Read MoreAttorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC has asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to inquire into how to reduce legal barriers to people with disabilities.
Read MoreThe Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus MP, has announced a new inquiry for the Australian Law Reform Commission ‒ a review of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth).
Read MoreIn July, the Commonwealth Minister for the Status of Women, the Hon Julie Collins MP, and the Victorian Minister for Community Services, the Hon Mary Wooldridge MP, launched a new organisation, the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children. The Foundation has been set up to raise awareness and engage the community to prevent violence against women and their children. Natasha Stott Despoja AM has been appointed as Chair of the Foundation.
Read MoreThe Australian Human Rights Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs, has welcomed the appointment of Dr Tim Soutphommasane as Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner.
Read MoreOn July 10 and 11 the UN Human Rights Committee reviewed Indonesia’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Read MoreIn the lead-up to Prime Minister Rudd's announcement of the government’s disastrous Papua New Guinea refugee ‘solution’, an event took place that understandably escaped much public attention.
Read MoreThe office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched a new public information campaign to raise awareness of homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination and to promote respect for the rights of LGBT people. The campaign will focus on the need for legal reforms and public education.
Read MoreIf citizens are to have rights worth having, they can only be guaranteed by constitutional entrenchment or by the Parliament scrutinising legislation and the Courts continuing to apply the principle of legality, writes Federal Court judge, Steven Rares.
Read MoreA damning report into the operation of Western Australia’s youth corrections system has identified systemic failures and regular mistreatment of young people in detention. Ben Schokman, a lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the youth justice system is entirely failing Western Australia’s young people.
Read MoreA Queensland jail worker at the Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre has been granted bail after facing charges for a number of offences, including raping inmates, attempted sexual assaults and attempting to procure a sexual act by intimidation.
Read MoreTasmania’s move to decriminalise abortion has been welcomed by the Human Rights Law Centre in a submission to a Parliamentary Committee reviewing the proposed laws.
Read MoreLong overdue legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people have coming into effect have been welcomed, but also highlight the need for systemic reform to Australia’s outdated discrimination laws.
Read MoreRemoving the Adult Parole Board’s exemption from Victoria’s Human Rights Charter would strengthen community safety and reduce the risk of mistakes like the failure to cancel Adrian Bayley’s parole.
Read MorePlans to send all asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea breach international law and condemn thousands of people to significant suffering.
Read MoreThe Human Right Law Centre's Daniel Webb on ABC News24 responds to the announcement by the Rudd Government that no asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat will ever be settled in Australia.
Read MoreThe Tasmanian Government is calling for submissions regarding the proposal to decriminalise abortion through the introduction of the Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill 2013.
Read MoreFlemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre’s Anthony Kelly looks at Victoria Police’s efforts to lift its game on tackling racist attitudes within the force.
Read MoreThe Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has expressed concern about whether the Stronger Futures package of legislation complies with Australia’s human rights obligations.
Read MoreThese new national guidelines ensure that transgender, intersex and gender diverse people are treated respectfully and sensitively by federal government departments and agencies in the collection of records and information.
Read MorePublic housing tenants in Victoria are once again able to engage with the political process following legal advocacy by the Human Rights Law Centre which highlighted that the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are protected by Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights.
Read MoreA range of proposed reforms to the youth justice system currently being considered by the Queensland Government would be harmful, ineffective and raise serious human rights concerns, according to the HRLC.
Read MoreThe Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has recommended greater transparency, accountability and focus on human rights and environmental consequences when the statutory Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC) makes decisions to finance local and international projects involving Australian companies.
Read MoreThe Australia Council for the Arts has amended its guidelines for assessing applications for funding from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for Indigenous Arts grants following a submission provided on behalf of well-known Aboriginal actor Uncle Jack Charles.
Read MoreThe passage of the Sex Discrimination (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Amendment Bill 2013 is an historic advance for the rights of LGBTI people and their families.
Read MoreAustralia recently announced its intention to seek election to the UN Human Rights Council in 2018. The Council is the UN’s peak human rights body. It is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe, for addressing situations of human rights violations and making recommendations on them. The Council comprises 47 UN Member States, which are elected by the UN General Assembly.
Read MoreAustralia’s offshore processing laws do not comply with fundamental human rights principles, concluded the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in its report tabled in Parliament.
Read MoreThe High Court of Australia has dismissed an appeal by a resident of Palm Island, Ms Joan Maloney, against her conviction for possession of alcohol in a restricted area contrary to provisions of the Liquor Act 1992 (Qld).
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre and the International Service for Human Rights have published a Guide for Human Rights Defenders on Domestic Implementation of UN Human Rights Recommendations. The Guide is intended to assist NGOs with national level strategies to ensure that UN recommendations are properly recognised and implemented.
Read MoreThe Government has dodged a High Court challenge to its indefinite detention of people who have been proven to be genuine refugees by releasing a Sri Lankan man and his family who had been detained for four years.
Read MoreSerious violations continue to blight Australia's human rights record, according to a joint statement delivered to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva by the Human Rights Law Centre's Director of Advocacy, Anna Brown.
Read MoreThe Sex Discrimination (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013 (SDA Bill) passed through the House of Representatives on 30 May 2013 after the Commonwealth Government announced welcome amendments to eliminate discrimination in the provision of Government funded aged care.
Read MoreI appreciate that many worthy organisations ask for donations at this time of year, so let me tell you why and how your investment in the Human Rights Law Centre will make a difference...
Read MoreWith the help of the Human Rights Law Centre, the mother of Melbourne teenager, Tyler Cassidy, who was shot dead by police in 2008, has filed a communication with the United Nation’s Human Rights Committee to highlight Australia’s failure to ensure police-related deaths are properly investigated by an independent body.
Read MoreIn May 2013 Shani Cassidy submitted a communication to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf of her son, Tyler, who was shot by Victoria Police in December 2008.
Read MoreThe Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has reiterated its concerns about the treatment of asylum-seekers arriving by sea to Australia.
Read MoreGlobal inaction on human rights is making the world an increasingly dangerous place for refugees and migrants, Amnesty International said as it launched its annual assessment of the world’s human rights.
Read MorePresident Rajapaksa’s assurances to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to investigate allegations of war crimes by all sides remain unmet, Human Rights Watch said.
Read MoreAustralia’s decision to forcibly return 31 Sri Lankan nationals to Colombo last night was based on a flawed process that fails to ensure Australia is not breaching its international human rights obligations by returning genuine refugees.
Read MoreHRLC Secondee Lawyer examines how the erosion of the right to silence in NSW highlights the precarious nature of human rights in Australia.
Read MoreFriday 17 May is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. The Human Rights Law Centre is proud to be supporting the No To Homophobia campaign to spread the message that there is no place for homophobic attitudes in modern Australia.
Read MoreIn 2011, the Federal Government introduced a criminal offence of failing to inform Centrelink within 14 days about a change in personal circumstances that could affect an entitlement to welfare payments.
Read MoreThe Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR) entered into force on 10 May 2013, three months after its tenth ratification.
Read MoreOn 16 April, Victorian Attorney-General Robert Clark introduced a bill to abolish suspended sentences for all crimes.
Read MoreOccupy Sydney protester Eamonn O’Flaherty claimed that he had a constitutionally implied right to occupy a city square with fellow protesters in Sydney as a way of demonstrating his political opinions and his support for the worldwide Occupy movement, and that the City of Sydney had violated his fundamental liberties by not allowing him and fellow protesters to remain in the square, thus unconstitutionally restricting his freedom of communication.
Read MoreFive major UN humanitarian agencies have made a joint appeal to the international community to act in Syria
Read MoreIn a historic month for the equal rights movement, New Zealand, France and Uruguay have passed same-sex marriage bills, and Rhode Island is set to become the tenth state in the United States to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage.
Read MoreAustralia’s opposition to the death penalty should extend beyond its borders, the Human Rights Law Centre has said ahead of Foreign Minister Bob Carr’s visit to Papua New Guinea tomorrow.
Read MoreLong overdue legal protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex people should be incorporated into Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act immediately, the Human Rights Law Centre has said in a submission today to the Senate’s Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee currently examining the Government’s proposed amendments.
Read MoreVictorian Government rules that prevent politicians from door knocking public housing estates and limit residents’ use of notice boards and common areas unlawfully limit human rights.
Read MoreUniversity of the Sunshine Coast’s Professor Neil Rees, co-author of Australian Anti-Discrimination Law, looks at what might have been had the Government’s anti-discrimination reforms been referred Australian Law Reform Commission
Read MoreThe Australian Human Rights Commission’s Professor Gillian Triggs takes heart from signs that the new Joint Committee on Human Rights has consolidated its scrutiny function
Read MoreThe UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women have expressed serious concerns that cuts to payments to single parents may be a violation of Australia’s international human rights obligations.
Read MoreA justice reinvestment approach to criminal justice in Australia would provide a valuable framework to prevent crime and promote community safety, reduce imprisonment rates and deliver associated social and economic benefits for the broad community, according to the Human Rights Law Centre.
Read MoreThe decision by the Department of Immigration to forcibly return 20 Sri Lankan nationals without properly assessing their refugee claims, a process known as ‘screening out’, deliberately bypasses processes under Australian law designed to safeguard against the return of genuine refugees to places where they face torture and human rights abuses.
Read MoreOn 2 April the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of controlling the movement of weapons across borders in the first ever treaty on the international trade of arms.
Read MoreWith the Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, scheduled to visit Indonesia tomorrow, the Human Rights Law Centre has called for a forthright discussion about human rights abuses in the Indonesian province of Papua.
HRLC spokesperson, Tom Clarke, said Australia is well positioned to play a meaningful and constructive role in helping to address the continuing human rights crisis in Papua.
Read MoreIn late March 2013 the UN Human Rights Council passed a US-backed resolution calling on Sri Lanka to honour the commitments it has previously made to investigate widespread allegations of war crimes during the last months of the civil war in May 2009. The resolution also raised formal concerns about continuing enforced disappearances, human rights abuses and other threats to the rule of law in Sri Lanka including the recent impeachment of the Chief Justice.
Read MoreA decision by the Victorian Supreme Court, Bare v Small, has failed to uphold the right to the independent investigation of complaints of serious mistreatment at the hands of Victoria Police. The case was brought by Youthlaw and pro bono counsel on behalf of a young African man, Nassir Bare, who alleged serious assault, including being capsicum sprayed while handcuffed, and being racially slurred by police in a February 2009 incident when he was 17 years old.
Read MoreA number of groups, including the Human Rights Law Centre, have been providing advice to the State Member for Prahran, Clem Newton-Brown, to assist him to develop a proposal to expunge convictions for historic gay sex offences.
Read MoreThe Federal Government’s announcement that it has delayed its consolidation of anti-discrimination laws has been met with extreme disappointment amongst community and human rights groups.
Read MoreNSW racial vilification laws strike the right balance in protecting free expression but could be strengthened to ensure they more effectively protect individuals from racist hate speech.
Read MoreHuman Rights Watch's Executive Director Kenneth Roth in conversation with the ABC's Waleed Aly discussing major human rights problems across the globe and Australia’s new seat on the UN Security Council.
Read MoreIn November 2013, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is due to be held in Sri Lanka. Ignoring international calls for the venue to be changed, including from the Canadian Government, Australia has indicated it will attend the meeting.
Read MoreIn his authoritative report presented to the Human Rights Council on 4 March, UN Special Rapporteur on torture Juan Méndez takes a new, groundbreaking look at different aspects of healthcare treatment that he claims amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or torture.
Read MoreThe UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women has expressed serious concerns that cuts to payments to single parents may be a violation of Australia’s international human rights obligations.
Read MoreHRLC Executive Director Hugh de Kretser examines the growing trend of those opposed to stronger human rights protections selectively adopting the language of rights.
Read MoreIn the first week of February, mining executives, government delegates, non-government organisation staff and consultants walked the halls together at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town, South Africa.
Read MoreIn a case about free speech and protest rights, the Federal Court has today found that council by-laws regarding advertising and camping do not infringe human rights, but some of the ways in which they were used by the City of Melbourne against a group of peaceful protesters in a public space were unlawful.
Read MoreThe High Court’s decision this morning in the 'Corneloup' case has failed to uphold the rights to free speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion and highlighted the lack of protections that freedom of speech has in Australian law.
Read MoreThe appointment of a National Children’s Commissioner will help to promote and protect the human rights of children and young people and ensure that the best interests of children are taken into account in the development of national law and policy.
Read MoreFor almost two years, Graeme Innes AM urged RailCorp NSW to get serious about its obligations towards Sydney’s rail passengers with disability by ensuring that its trains provide audible “next stop” announcements.
Read MoreThe UN Human Rights Council will be reviewing the human rights situation of Sri Lanka during its upcoming session in March.
Read MoreVictoria Police will commence a public inquiry aimed at stamping out racial profiling in police practices as a condition of an agreed out of court settlement in Haile-Michael and Others v Commissioner of Police and Others [Court no. VID 969 of 2010] – a racial discrimination claim brought by Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre and a pro bono legal team on behalf of six young African-Australian men.
Read MoreAfter years of discussion and consultation, the Federal Government has all it needs to strengthen protections against unfair treatment and make anti-discrimination laws more effective, accessible and cost-efficient. Earlier today the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee released its report on the exposure draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012.
Read MoreThe Victorian Government’s proposal to increase application fees and other charges for particular cases heard at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal may compromise the ability of ordinary Victorians to access the efficient and inexpensive justice the Tribunal seeks to provide.
Read MoreThe UN Human Rights Committee has recognised extraterritorial obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. On 31 October 2012, in its Concluding Observations on Germany's sixth periodic review under the ICCPR, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern regarding steps taken by Germany to protect against the human rights impacts of German companies operating abroad.
Read MoreVictoria’s legal sector has welcomed two developments this week which will support greater recognition for and inclusion of Indigenous Victorians in the profession.
Read MoreAustralia’s counter terrorism laws unnecessarily restrict fundamental human rights and undermine the rule of law, a research article ‘The Extraordinary Questioning and Detention Powers of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’ published this month in the Melbourne University Law Review has found.
Read MoreThe Joint Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples has endorsed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill 2012 without any recommended changes in its report released on 30 January 2013.
Read MoreOn 24 January 2013, Nauru acceded to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), committing the Nauruan Government to establish an independent body to visit and review places in Nauru where people are deprived of their liberty.
Read MoreDespite needing some amendments, the Federal Government’s draft Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 has the potential to strengthen protections against unfair treatment and make anti-discrimination laws more effective, accessible and cost-efficient. This is the message the Human Rights Law Centre will deliver when it gives evidence today before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
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Proposed legislation introduced into Federal Parliament to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s first inhabitants is an important stepping stone on the path to recognition of and equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.
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The HRLC welcomes the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 as a culmination of many years of research, discussion and advocacy around the need to strengthen, modernise and streamline federal anti-discrimination laws. While there are aspects of the HRAD Bill that could be strengthened, the HRLC considers that the Bill improves protections against unfair treatment and makes anti-discrimination laws more effective, accessible and cost-efficient.
Read MoreViolence against women costs Victoria at least $3.4 billion a year, so it makes economic sense to spend more money on assisting victims and preventing violence from happening, writes the Federation of Community Legal Centres' Dr Chris Atmore.
Read MoreThe 11th Session of Assembly of States Parties for the International Criminal Court took place in The Hague from 14–21 November 2012.
Read MoreAusAID has observed International Human Rights Day by announcing the names and details of projects that will receive funding under its 2012 Human Rights Grant Scheme.
Read MoreThe Government's controversial practice of 'screening out' asylum seekers aims to bypass fundamental human rights protections, writes the HRLC's Rachel Ball
Read MoreThe UN Human Rights Committee has asked Australia to explain how a range of laws, policies and practices are compatible with international human rights standards ahead of a major review of Australia’s human rights record.
Read MoreAustralia’s offshore processing laws and policy are fundamentally incompatible with Australia’s obligations under international law, the Human Rights Law Centre has told the federal Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.
Read MoreOn 10 December 2012, the Australian Government released the final version of its National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP). The NHRAP represents a key plank of Australia’s Human Rights Framework and is intended to "outline future action for the promotion and protection of rights in Australia".
The HRLC’s Director of Advocacy, Anna Brown,welcomed the final version of the NHRAP, but said it should be strengthened to ensure more effective monitoring, implementation and measurement of human rights.
Read MoreAs Australia focuses on the passage of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, has released her Annual Report for 2012.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre has submitted an appeal for urgent action to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture in relation to the situation of a group of eight Tamil asylum seekers who have travelled to Australia from Sri Lanka by boat.
Read MoreDPP v Leys & Leys [2012] VSCA 304 (12 December 2012)
On 16 January 2012, community correction orders (CCO) were introduced as a sentencing option under the Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic). CCOs replaced a number of separate sentencing orders such as intensive correction orders and community-based orders.
Read MoreAustralia’s Foreign Minister should seek assurances that Australia’s cooperation with Sri Lanka to prevent people smuggling is not exposing asylum seekers to torture, arbitrary detention, systemic discrimination and other gross human rights violations, the Human Rights Law Centre said today.
Read MoreOn 11 December 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon – Joined by international musical artists Ricky Martin and Yvonne Chaka Chaka, amongst others – called for an end to violence and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre is assisting the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples to make submissions as “amicus curiae” in the High Court in the case of Maloney v The Queen. The case relates to the prohibition against racial discrimination and the rights to participation and self-determination.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre is honoured to receive the Australian Human Rights Law Award for 2012 for its proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in Australia.
Read MoreForeign Minister Bob Carr announced on Human Rights Day that Australia will join a global initiative to promote human rights while ensuring the security of mining projects.
Read MoreIn offering redress to victims of torture and their families, “restoration of the dignity of the victim is the ultimate objective,” according to the UN Committee against Torture. The Committee has just published a detailed General Comment expanding on the key article in the Convention against Torture which says that victims of torture and their families have “an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation, including the means for as full rehabilitation as possible”.
Read MoreThe High Court is set to hear a landmark case on Indigenous rights to equality, non-discrimination and self-determination.
Read MoreLeading human rights advocate and lawyer, Hugh de Kretser, has been appointed to head the Human Rights Law Centre.
Read MoreThe Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights has found that Australia’s offshore processing laws raise “significant and complex issues” as to compatibility with human rights and ordered an inquiry into the legislation.
Read MoreThe Australian Government should immediately stop transfers of migrant children – including unaccompanied migrant children and child asylum seekers – to offshore processing sites in Manus Island of Papua New Guinea, and Nauru.
Read MoreA shooting in Redfern has provided a sombre reminder for the need of independent investigations into police related deaths.
Read MoreIn 2011, the Australian Government co-sponsored the UN Human Rights Council resolution which unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
Read MoreAmnesty International has found a toxic mix of uncertainty, unlawful detention and inhumane conditions creating an increasingly volatile situation on Nauru, with the Australian Government spectacularly failing in its duty of care to asylum seekers.
Read MoreThe Australian Human Rights Commission and the Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, have welcomed the passing of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Amendment Bill in Parliament. Ms Broderick says it is a strong step toward both improving women’s workforce participation and closing the gender gap in Australia’s workforce.
Read MoreA new project of the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service and its consumer advisory group, StreetCare, uses video interviews as a way for StreetCare members to share their stories of homelessness. Called In their Words, the project will be included in training programs for people who work with homeless clients. The videos can also be shown to policymakers and politicians to improve their understanding of individual experiences of homelessness.
Read MoreA new Bill proposed by the Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, and Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Penny Wong, will strengthen protections against unfair treatment and make anti-discrimination laws more effective, accessible and cost-efficient.
Read More“Trafficking in persons is a global phenomenon which crosses borders, markets and industries,” said United Nations Special Rapporteur Joy Ngozi Ezeilo while urging business enterprises around the world to refrain from using trafficked labour, and prevent and monitor the use of such labour by its suppliers.
Read MoreHorrifying footage of a young Aboriginal boy being repeatedly Tasered, together with damning Coronial findings into the death of a Brazilian student and a Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission report indicating increased reliance on Tasers by police, demonstrate the urgent need for more rigorous police training and more stringent regulation of police use of force.
Read MoreAustralia is scheduled to be reviewed by the UN Committee against Torture for its compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2013.
Read MoreTogether with a group of leading human rights and community organisations, the HRLC has provided a private briefing to the UN Human Rights Committee on the state of human rights in Australia.
Read MoreThe Federal Government is slashing funding for human rights education and rule of law initiatives for short-term political gain.
Read MoreThe Age Discrimination Commissioner, Susan Ryan, has told the Parliamentary Friends of Seniors and Ageing that she believes there needs to be more protection of older people around the world. Reporting on her recent presentation at the UN’s Open Ended Working Group on Older People, Commissioner Ryan told MP’s at parliament House in Canberra that she has been convinced by the case put forward by those UN member States calling for the drafting of a new convention.
Read MoreThe 21st session of the Human Rights Council saw some worrying signs of regression, with, however, some notable bright spots. The session saw a number of significant thematic developments. The issue of reprisals had a high profile with the Council’s first ever panel discussion dedicated to the problem. As there will be no resolution on the issue until September 2013, the challenge now is to ensure that action is not shelved, and that concrete steps are taken in the meantime to protect against and respond to reprisals.
Read MoreAn exceptional opportunity has arisen to lead the Human Rights Law Centre, one of Australia’s premier human rights advocacy organisations.
Read MoreCommenting from Indonesia, Commonwealth Attorney-General, Nicola Roxon, has said Australia's recognition of Indonesia's sovereignty over Papua would not stop the Government from registering concern about human rights violations.
Read MoreAn Indonesian fisherman has filed the first international case against Australia’s people smuggling legislation, claiming the laws violate international law. The fisherman is represented by senior law students from the University of New South Wales’ Human Rights Clinic. Due to mandatory sentencing, fisherman Mr Nasir is serving a five-year jail term in an Australian prison – a significantly longer sentence than he would otherwise have received for being a cook on an asylum seeker boat, according to the Queensland Supreme Court.
Read MoreAustralia has a critical role to play in focusing the the UN Security Council’s attention more sharply on global human rights issues and situations of concern.
Read MoreA project to upgrade and connect Cambodia’s debilitated railways – which received $26 million of funding from AusAID – has caused significant harm to many of the 4000 families it is displacing. The Human Rights Law Centre has assisted a Cambodian NGO, Equitable Cambodia, and the New York-based, Inclusive Development International to submit a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Read MoreProtection from threats to national security and the protection and promotion of human rights are complementary goals according to two recent submissions that the Human Rights Law Centre has made on aspects of Australia’s counter-terrorism laws.
Read MoreFamilies resettled by the AusAID-funded Cambodian railway rehabilitation project have filed a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission alleging that they have suffered serious violations of their human rights as a result of resettlement under the project.
Read MoreTogether with our friends at the Federation of Community Legal Centres, the Human Rights Law Centre convened a roundtable discussion on the use of Tasers with international expert Professor Rob Gordon, Director of the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. The roundtable was generously hosted by Allens and attendees included senior members of Victoria Police, policy makers from the Victorian Government Department of Justice, academic experts and community lawyers.
Read MoreThe High Court of Australia has welcomed a new member to its bench – Commonwealth Solicitor General Stephen Gageler SC. Gageler was recently before the High Court arguing the Commonwealth’s case for the plain packaging of cigarettes, a case he won before his new colleagues. Gageler also lead the Commonwealth’s notable loss last year before the High Court in the Malaysia Solution case.
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As the NSW State Coroner begins her inquest into the death of the Brazilian student Roberto Curti, we need to ask ourselves if the investigation into his death was flawed from the outset, writes the HRLC's Anna Brown about the ongoing problem of police investigating police.
Read MoreWith the coronial inquest into the fatal police Taser shooting of 21 year old Brazilian student Roberto Curti commencing today, a leading human rights organisation has renewed calls for investigations into police related deaths to be entirely independent – in keeping with international law.
Read MoreA Senate Committee report into the detention of Indonesian minors in Australia acknowledges systemic issues with Australia’s processes for detaining and prosecuting accused people smugglers, which have resulted in improper detention of Indonesian minors.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre has applied to intervene in a significant High Court case concerning freedom of expression and freedom of religion and the right to peaceful protest. “The HRLC has a principled commitment to human rights and has sought to intervene in support of the right of all protesters to exercise their fundamental right to freedom of expression,” said Anna Brown, Director of Advocacy from the HRLC.
Read MoreThe Criminal Code Amendment (Domestic Violence) Bill 2012 (WA) has been introduced as a private member’s Bill into the parliament of Western Australia.
Read MoreThe Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has launched an anti-hate campaign in response to the Commission’s research project, Reporting racism: what you say matters. Almost half of the people surveyed had witnessed racism happening to someone else and wanted to do something but didn’t know how to respond. The anti-hate website, http://www.antihate.vic.gov.au/, provides the solution. It also lets people know how they can take their complaint further or get more information from the Commission.
Read MoreThe Criminal Code Amendment (Domestic Violence) Bill 2012 (WA) has been introduced as a private member’s Bill into the parliament of Western Australia. The Bill proposes to amend Western Australia’s unlawful assault causing death law to provide for a maximum imprisonment of 20 years for an unlawful assault causing death offence in circumstances of aggravation.
Read MoreThe Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission has released Held back: the experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian schools. The Commission undertook research examining the experiences of students with disabilities in Victorian Schools to learn how schools are meeting students’ needs, as well as understanding where practice might be improved.
Read MoreThe Australian Human Rights Commission considers that the fundamental human rights principle of equality means that civil marriage should be available, without discrimination, to all couples, regardless of sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, Commission President Professor Gillian Triggs said.
Read MoreIn last month’s edition of Rights Agenda we reported on the launch a groundbreaking television campaign targeting homophobia, biphobic and transphobic harassment.
Read MoreFollowing a request from the HRLC, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights has called on the Immigration Minister to justify how offshore processing laws are compatible with Australia’s international human rights obligations.
Read MoreThe United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued new guidelines relating to the detention of asylum seekers. An overarching theme of the ten guidelines is that the detention of asylum seekers is an exceptional measure of last resort which can only be applied where it pursues a legitimate purpose and has been determined to be both necessary and proportionate in each individual case.
Read More"Today marks the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Without doubt this international instrument has already been established universally as a human rights benchmark to confirm the indigenous peoples of the world are equal to all other peoples. This achievement, within the first five years of its life, is verification that the rights of our peoples, encompassing social organisation, cultures, territories and development, are progressively being acknowledged."
Read MoreThe Commonwealth Secretary-General and Commonwealth Heads of Government must press Sri Lanka to strengthen respect for human rights and the rule of law, according to a coalition of leading human rights organisations from around the world.
Read MoreOn 5 September 2012, the Australian Government signed a Defence Cooperation Agreement with Indonesia. The agreement raises potentially significant human rights issues. The HRLC has been advised by the Defence Minister’s office that the agreement is confidential and not available publicly.
Read MoreIn June this year the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report setting out a series of recommendations for strengthening the treaty body system. Those recommendations were based on the outcomes of a series of consultations that had been held since late 2009, known informally as the ‘Dublin process’.
Read MoreThe Australian Capital Territory will become the first Australian jurisdiction to trial a needle and syringe program in prison – a principled, evidence-based, human rights-compliant response to a major public health issue. Research shows that prisons are a “hot bed” for blood borne virus transmission.
Read More“People with disabilities will be badly affected by the Qld state government’s axing of the Tenant Advice and Advocacy Service (TAAS) program” said Mr Ken Wade of disability advocacy organisation Queensland Advocacy Incorporated. The Housing Minister Dr Bruce Flegg announced the termination in late July, and services are expected to cease operation from Wednesday 31 October 2012.
Read MoreAfter three days in the Federal Magistrates Court, Graeme Innes' disability discrimination claim against RailCorp remains unresolved. Federal Magistrate Kenneth Raphael has adjourned the case until 22 November 2012, and ordered the matter to be further mediated by a registrar of the court.
Read MoreThe Federal Government’s draft Homelessness Bill 2012 needs a major re-think in order to have a positive, practical impact on people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. That’s the message delivered by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) to the Federal Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Brendan O’Connor.
Read MoreOn 29 August 2012, a coalition of leading disability, human rights and community organisations released the Disability Rights Now report, a comprehensive assessment of Australia’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The report makes over 130 recommendations for Australia to embed the rights, standards and obligations contained in the CRPD into all aspects of Australian law, policy and practice.
Read MoreThe Australian Government’s failure to implement more than 20 recommendations from the UN Human Rights Committee highlights the need to make the promotion and protection of human rights a national priority.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre has called on the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings to urgently investigate Australia’s extensive support for an Indonesian police unit implicated in serious human rights abuses in the province of West Papua.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre is proud to be a key supporter of a groundbreaking television campaign targeting homophobia, biphobic and transphobic harassment, launched today by Victorian Ministers Mary Wooldridge and David Davis.
Read MoreThe Human Rights Law Centre deplores the passage of the Migration Legislation Amendment (Offshore Processing and Other Measures) Bill 2011. The Bill, which was passed by the Senate on 16 August 2012 with both Government and Opposition support, enshrines extensive and alarming violations of human rights in Australian law.
Read MoreToday’s announcement that the Australian Capital Territory will trial the provision of sterile injecting equipment in prisons is an essential response to a major prisoner and public health crisis, according to a leading human rights organisation.
Read MoreSeveral of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers’ recommendations violate Australia’s international law obligations and, if adopted, would ravage Australia’s claim to human rights compliance and good international citizenship, the Human Rights Law Centre’s Rachel Ball said.
Read MoreThe Australian Government’s failure to implement more than 20 recommendations from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee highlights the need to make the promotion and protection of human rights a national priority. Making a submission to the UN Human Rights Committee – which is preparing for a major review of Australia’s human rights record – the Human Rights Law Centre criticised the Australian Government for dragging its feet in a number of key areas of human rights concern.
Read MoreThe United Nations Committee against Torture has sought to intervene in the case of "Mr X", a Tamil asylum seeker who was forcibly deported fromAustralia.
Read MoreA Victorian prisoner is preparing proceedings against the State Government alleging that it has failed to protect him from exposure to hepatitis C during his time in jail. Prisons have been described as a ''hot bed'' for blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis C, with more than 40 percent of Victorian prisoners carrying the virus. Coupled with the prevalence of intravenous drug use in Victorian prisons, a failure to provide clean needles and syringes may amount to a breach of the state's common law duty of care and obligations under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
Read MoreIn a ground-breaking resolution, the United Nation’s premier human rights forum, the Human Rights Council, has called for Paris Principles-compliant national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to be able to participate in other UN meetings and forums, including the UN General Assembly.
Read MoreThe Australian Government is considering whether Australia should join the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, an extractives sector initiative that addresses human rights risks associated with the security of companies' operations.
Read MoreAustralia’s treatment of suspected people smugglers who said that they were children has breached international human rights law and raised serious questions about the resilience of our criminal justice system, Australian Human Rights Commission President Catherine Branson QC said.
Read MorePrime Minister Gillard should use today’s meeting with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to advocate for an end to the effective ban that prevents the international media reporting from West Papua, a leading human rights group has said.
Read MoreVictoria’s Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities continues to make a real, practical difference in the lives of Victorians, according to the fifth Charter report tabled in Parliament on 19 June. Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Acting Commissioner Karen Toohey said that Rights in focus: 2011 report on the operation of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities highlighted the way the Charter is helping Victorians to realise their rights and to resolve everyday issues that can have a profound effect on their quality of life.
Read MoreThe Australian Human Rights Commission Amendment (National Children’s Commissioner) Bill has been passed to create a new Commissioner position that will monitor whether Australia is adhering to its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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