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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Introducing Lee Carnie - New Lawyer in our LGBTI Rights Unit
Lee Carnie is the latest lawyer to join the HRLC team. She commenced in May 2016 in the LGBTI Rights Unit.
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Applications Closed: Indigenous Rights Unit Senior Lawyer (Melbourne)
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Senior Lawyer to work in our Indigenous Rights Unit. We are seeking a highly motivated, dynamic and collaborative individual. This position is aimed at lawyers with at least 5 years relevant, post-admission legal practical experience.
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The Victorian Government delivers an apology that rights historical wrongs
Rights groups have applauded the Victorian Government for today's formal state apology to people convicted under unjust laws against homosexual acts. The Human Rights Law Centre’s Director of Advocacy, Anna Brown welcomed Premier Daniel Andrews’ heartfelt speech and said the apology recognises the harm that these discriminatory laws have caused
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Time for the Western Australian Government to scrap its policy of locking people up for unpaid fines
Western Australia’s Independent Inspector of Custodial Services released a damning report on Friday showing that Western Australia’s policy of locking people up for unpaid fines disproportionately impacts vulnerable Aboriginal women.
The Human Rights Law Centre’s Senior Lawyer, Ruth Barson, said that the Inspector’s report is another reminder that Western Australia’s policy of locking people up for unpaid fines is unfair and out of date.
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Parliamentary committee attempts to silence environmental groups and limit peaceful protest
Human rights lawyers have raised concerns that a parliamentary committee has sought to silence organisations that advocate to protect the environment.
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Business and human rights
Business can have a significant impact on the human rights of people in countries where they operate, particularly where those countries have weak regulatory and governance systems. Where Australian businesses are responsible for human rights abuses, it is vital that they are held accountable and that victims are able to access a remedy.
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Welcome appointment of new Victorian Human Rights Commissioner
The Human Rights Law Centre’s Executive Director, Hugh de Kretser, welcomed the appointment, saying he looked forward to Ms Hilton’s leadership protecting and promoting human rights in Victoria.
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Parliamentary committee delivers blueprint for Australia’s global leadership to abolish the death penalty
A joint parliamentary committee has today urged the Australian Government to do more to abolish the death penalty worldwide including prohibiting the Australian Federal Police from sharing information about drug crimes that could lead to imposition of the death penalty.
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Appointment of new Human Rights Commissioners welcomed
Today the Commonwealth Attorney-General George Brandis announced the appointment of Mr Edward Santow as Human Rights Commissioner, the Hon Dr Kay Patterson as Age Discrimination Commissioner and Mr Alastair McEwin as Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
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Lawyers seek to set important limits on NT police drunk lock-up powers
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) today filed submissions in their case appealing a decision of the NT Court of Appeal, Mole v Prior, concerning an Aboriginal man who was taken into protective custody.
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2016 Children’s Rights Edition of the HRLC Monthly Bulletin
Each year we join with the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre and King & Wood Mallesons to produce a special Children's Rights Edition of our monthly bulletin, Rights Agenda.
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Calls for WA Government to address crisis of Aboriginal peoples’ over-imprisonment, on eve of 25th anniversary of RCIADIC
On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the Western Australian Government is being urged to adopt justice targets to address the State’s appalling rates of Aboriginal peoples’ over-imprisonment.
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Aboriginal Justice Agency seeks High Court appeal to set safeguards around police powers
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) today sought permission from the High Court to appeal a Northern Territory decision concerning police powers of ‘protective custody’.
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It’s time for a Queensland Human Rights Act
A Human Rights Act would be a force for good in protecting the rights of all Queenslanders and would deliver significant benefits, the Human Rights Law Centre has told the Queensland Parliament’s Human Rights Inquiry.
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Ms Dhu’s family call on the Premier to meet with them, as the coronial inquest concludes
As the coronial inquest into Ms Dhu’s tragic death in police custody concludes, her family has called for a meeting with Premier Barnett to ensure he is taking action to address Aboriginal deaths in custody.
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It’s time to safeguard our democracy
As governments can bestow rights, equally they can take them away. We must not be complacent, writes the HRLC's Emily Howie.
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Australia fails to address serious concerns in major UN review
The Australian Government’s response overnight at the UN in Geneva to a major review of its human rights record has failed to address the serious concerns raised by the international community.
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New NSW anti-protest laws are excessive and unnecessary
The New South Wales government’s anti-protest laws will unreasonably restrict and disproportionately punish people for standing together and speaking out on issues that they care about, said the Human Rights Law Centre.
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Australia undermining UN efforts to defend human rights in Burma, weakening its own leadership in the process
As Australia undermines international efforts to address Burma’s significant human rights challenges, it also misses an opportunity to establish its credentials as a global human rights leader, the Human Rights Law Centre has warned today.
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Government commits to national consultation on business and human rights
The HRLC has welcomed the announcement that the Australian Government will undertake a national consultation on the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
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WA urged to scrap practice of locking people up for unpaid fines as coronial inquest recommences into Ms Dhu’s death in police custody
With the coronial inquest into Ms Dhu’s tragic death in police custody recommencing on Monday, family members and human rights lawyers are urging the Western Australian Government to urgently scrap the practice of locking people up for unpaid fines.
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Reform needed to better protect whistleblowers who reveal human rights abuses
Whistleblowers who reveal human rights abuses face the risk of prosecution and jail and require much greater legal protection, said the Human Rights Law Centre in a submission to the review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth). The Act is currently being reviewed by former Integrity Commissioner Philip Moss for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
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Australian Government dumps gay refugee couple on Nauru – where gay sex can be punished with 14 years of hard labour
The global gay and lesbian community has been asked to help a gay refugee couple currently living in fear after the Australian Government’s punitive refugee policies have left them languishing on a tiny island where homosexuality is a crime.
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Rights groups warn investors of the risks of Ferrovial’s bid for Australia’s offshore detention contractor
Spanish giant Ferrovial has been warned in a new investor alert that it will be exposed to serious legal, financial and reputation risks associated with the Australian offshore detention centres, if its takeover bid for Broadspectrum is successful.
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Rights groups warn investors of the risks of Ferrovial's bid for Australia's offshore detention contractor
Spanish giant Ferrovial has been warned in a new investor alert that it will be exposed to serious legal, financial and reputation risks associated with the Australian offshore detention centres, if its takeover bid for Broadspectrum is successful.
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Law Reform Commission report a wake up call to restore basic rights and freedoms in Australia
The Australian Government should remove unjustified limits on basic rights and freedoms in Australia, said the Human Rights Law Centre today. HRLC Director of Advocacy and Research, Emily Howie, welcomed the Australian Law Reform Commission’s report, Traditional Rights and Freedoms – Encroachments on Commonwealth Laws, that adds to the growing evidence of Australian laws that infringe on rights.
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#LetThemStay: An overview of the HRLC’s legal and advocacy work
The Human Rights Law Centre is proud to have partnered with GetUp! and the Australian Churches for Refugees Taskforce to create and coordinate the #LetThemStay campaign for the 267 people linked to our High Court case.
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Political parties urged to halt the erosion of Australia’s democracy: new report
Australia’s political parties must stop eroding many of the vital foundations of Australia’s democracy, the Human Rights Law Centre has said in a new report. Civil society leaders joined the launch at Australian Parliament House to highlight the critical role that civil society plays in a healthy and robust democracy.
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Separating the facts from the politics: Update on Baby Asha’s case
Last night was the first time in three days that the HRLC legal team had been allowed to speak with our client. HRLC’s Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, said that it was unusual and unreasonable that access be so restricted.
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Baby Asha’s family allowed to speak with lawyers for first time in three days
Following the Human Rights Law Centre's public statement earlier this afternoon that its legal team had been prevented from speaking with the clients for the last three days, the government agreed to allow Baby Asha’s mother to speak to her lawyer, Daniel Webb, by phone early this evening.
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Government backs down as Minister Dutton announces ‘Baby Asha’ will be moved into the community
The Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, has announced that ‘Baby Asha’ will be moved from a Brisbane hospital – where medical staff had been refusing to discharge her – and into community detention.
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Government moves to fast-track deportations to Nauru as 'Baby Asha' given 72 hour undertaking
The Australian Government appears to be rapidly moving to clear the way for fast-track deportations without notice of many of the 267 vulnerable people the Human Rights Law Centre represented in the recent High Court challenge to Australia’s role in offshore detention.
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UN rights experts urge Western Australia to abandon proposed anti-protest laws
Three UN human rights experts urged the Western Australian parliament not to adopt a proposed law that would criminalise peaceful protests and silence environmentalists and human rights defenders.
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'No easy way to tell a young mother that our government wants to condemn her to a life in limbo on a tiny island'
On Monday night our Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, delivered a speech at the #LetThemStay community event in Melbourne...
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Establishment of Australia’s first Special Envoy on Human Rights a step in the right direction
The HRLC’s Director of Advocacy and Research, Emily Howie, said that the Australia needs to improve its human rights record and that the HRLC has advocated for the establishment of an Australian human rights ambassador to promote and coordinate human rights within and across foreign policy since 2009.
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Introducing Laura Wilson – New Lawyer in our Indigenous Rights Unit
Laura Wilson is HRLC's new addition, commencing in February 2016 as a Lawyer in the Indigenous Rights Unit.
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Human Rights Law Centre welcomes Victorian Premier’s leadership and Victoria’s offer to take 267 facing deportation
The Human Rights Law Centre’s Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, has welcomed news that the Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, has written to the Prime Minister explaining that he wants the 267 men, women and children facing deportation following this week's High Court decision, to call Victoria home.
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Statement from HRLC and GetUp
The child at the centre of rape allegations is not a client of the Human Rights Law Centre and is not one of the 267 people linked to last week’s High Court challenge. Neither the HRLC or GetUp was involved in the decision to take the story to the media.
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UN warns Government that deporting children to Nauru is likely to breach international law
The United Nations has intervened in the plight of 267 vulnerable people that the Australian Government intends to deport to offshore camps, warning the Government to adhere to its obligations under the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention against torture and other cruel treatment.
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Families fear imminent deportation as High Court confirms Government’s Nauru arrangements do not breach Australian domestic law
The High Court has ruled that the Australian Government’s role in funding and participating in offshore detention on Nauru does not breach Australian law, but it did not give a blanket authority for the Government’s actions.
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High Court to deliver judgment in case challenging offshore detention on Nauru
The High Court will hand down a decision tomorrow morning in a test case challenging the lawfulness of the Australian Government’s role in offshore detention on Nauru. The HRLC's Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, said his client, her husband and their one-year old baby are terrified of being sent back to Nauru.
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Australia’s leading NGOs call for a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights
Australia is lagging behind in the global movement to prevent and address corporate human rights abuses and a group of leading NGOs is urging the Government to do something about it.
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Moves to tackle ex-gay conversion therapy
A new research project is aiming to better understand and tackle the harm caused by so-called gay conversion therapy and the ex-gay movement in Australia.
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A welcome step towards erasing leftover homosexual convictions in Queensland
The announcement by the Queensland Attorney-General that the Queensland Law Reform Commission will examine how historical convictions for consensual homosexual conduct can be removed from a person’s criminal record has been welcomed by community and legal groups.
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The Human Rights Week Challenge
Thank you!
The official count is complete and we're thrilled to report that thanks to your generous support, we reached our target of raising $200,000 during our Human Rights Week Challenge.
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HRLC Annual Report 2014/15
We're very pleased to share our Annual Report for the 2014/15 financial year.
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Law on Toast? Win breakfast with Benjamin Law
Standing up for human rights is serious business, but here at the Human Right Law Centre we also enjoy a laugh and hope you do too.
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16 leading organisations release Blueprint for Change on Indigenous imprisonment and violence rates
Today, the Human Rights Law Centre has joined with other leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, community and human rights organisations to launch a ground-breaking blueprint for change to focus on building communities instead of prisons, and developing smarter criminal justice solutions.
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Creating more victims: the role of prisons in the 21st century?
If we do not take a drastically different approach, the trajectory of our Corrections system seems as negative and inevitable as the lives of those disadvantaged and victimised individuals it houses, writes the Centre for Innovative Justice's Rob Hulls.
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Victorian Parliament ensures women's safe and private access to abortion clinics
The Victorian Parliament has passed a new law to protect the privacy, safety and dignity of women accessing reproductive health services.
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Stop locking up women who are in family violence situations, says Ms Dhu’s family on White Ribbon Day
The coronial inquest into Ms Dhu’s tragic death in police custody has heard that Ms Dhu was in a violent relationship with her partner, Dion Ruffin, at the time of her arrest. Mr Ruffin was taken into custody together with Ms Dhu and was known to police as someone with a violent criminal history.
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Applications now open: Indigenous rights lawyer
A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for a lawyer to work as part of our Indigenous Rights Unit. This position will work alongside the Unit’s Director and Senior Lawyer and will play a vital role in contributing to all aspects of the Unit’s work. This position will be based in Melbourne.
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WA should stop locking people up for unpaid fines, say family and lawyers as coronial inquest begins into Ms Dhu’s death in custody
The coronial inquest into Ms Dhu’s tragic death in police custody begins in Perth tomorrow morning.
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