Submission on Australia’s state party report to the Committee Against Torture pursuant to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (75th Session)

In this joint submission by the Human Rights Law Centre, Change The Record and the NATSILS to the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture, we highlight Jurisdictions where little or no work establishing an OPCAT-compliant oversight mechanism for places of detention has been established; systemic concerns within and across jurisdictions; and facilities of particular concern where human rights abuses appear to be systemic, chronic and escalating.

The Human Rights Law Centre appeared before the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards (Committee), to give evidence for reforms that would ensure that politicians and all people working in, or visiting, the Commonwealth Parliament fall under a code of conduct.

This joint parliamentary committee was initiated on the recommendation of Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins in her Set the Standard report, which followed serious allegations of gender-based violence taking place inside Parliament. It follows that a significant focus of this review should be on preventing gender-based violence. However, this is not the only issue that needs to be addressed in order to create a Commonwealth Parliament that will rebuild public trust in our political system.

The Human Rights Law Centre is urging the ACT government to lead the nation and introduce the ‘right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment’ into the Human Rights Act 2004.

The Human Rights Law Centre commented on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Consultation Paper relating to its proposed International Strategy on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery (Strategy).

The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly’s Justice and Community Safety Committee is inquiring whether to support strengthening the Human Rights Act to make it easier for people to take action when their rights are being violated.

This submission calls on the Federal Government for more to be done via a range of measures to strengthen Australia’s framework to combat forced labour as Australia prepares to ratify the International Labour Organization (ILO) Forced Labour Protocol.

Joint submission from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and the Human Rights Law Centre on the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Remote Engagement Program) Bill 2021.

The submission, made to separate inquiries by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, highlights a number of deep flaws and serious consequences that would flow if the Religious Discrimination Bill was passed.

The Human Rights Law Centre calls for an enforceable code of conduct that applies to all elected members of federal Parliament and whistleblower laws that protect parliamentary workers.

This submission on the Criminal Law (Raising the Age of Responsibility) Amendment Bill sets out the medical, social and legal rationale for raising the age to at least 14.