The increasing focus on tackling violence against women in Australia is welcome, but what about women held on Nauru in Australian detention centres? Katie Robertson explains. See more at: https://newmatilda.com/2015/09/29/violence-against-women-australia-bad-violence-against-women-care-australia-acceptable
Queensland is one step closer to a charter of human rights, with the Palaszczuk Government committing to holding a parliamentary inquiry into how the state could adopt its own bill of rights. Click here to read the story in the Brisbane times.
ALHR’s own Claire Hammerton, Chair of our Refugee Subcommittee, writes on the need for a legislative time limit on the detention of children in the latest edition of Asylum Insight. Click here to read her compelling piece.
The new data retention laws have caused quite a stir in both the legal community and the public at large. Since the passing of these laws (with support from both sides of politics), many have questioned whether these laws would be effective in stopping terrorist threats and whether they go too far in compromising our … Read More >>
In July 2015 made a submission on the Bill to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (attached). ALHR believes that Australia should deal with its citizens under its own laws and not put terrorists or other criminals beyond the reach of Australian law. Australia has legal obligations pursuant to United Nations Security Council … Read More >>
Nominations are now open for the 2015 United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) Media Peace Awards. The Media Peace Awards is a prestigious National Awards Program that recognises journalists, producers and editors, who seek to promote the understanding and awareness about humanitarian and social justice issues in our society and stimulate public debate. Nominations close 5pm Friday … Read More >>
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has been asked to identify and critically examine Commonwealth laws that encroach upon ‘traditional’ or common law rights, freedoms and privileges. In the attached Interim Report, the ALRC analyses the source and rationale of many of these important common law rights and provides an extensive survey of current Commonwealth … Read More >>
UPDATE The ALRC has released its Interim Report which reflects the law as at 17 July 2015. Attached is a copy of the report titled ‘Traditional’ rights and freedoms – Encroachments by Commonwealth Laws’. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In February 2015, ALHR submitted to the ALRC that: International human rights standards are the criteria by which the … Read More >>
Some of Australia’s largest companies have joined over 150 of Australia’s corporate, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and community organisations to issue a joint statement to call for renewed efforts to stamp out racism in sport and in everyday life. ALHR is in support and will stand together to not only lend our support to … Read More >>
ALHR has made a submission in response to the OHCHR’s global consultation initiative on business and human rights (the ‘Accountability and Remedy Project’). The aim of the Accountability and Remedy Project is to gather information on corporate accountability for human rights abuses in different legal jurisdictions. The Accountability and Remedy Project seeks information on corporate … Read More >>
ALHR made a submission focusing on the human rights and rule of law implications of Schedule 6 of the Bill which proposes the insertion of new ss 360.3A and 361.5 into the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Criminal Code). The proposed sections would introduce a mandatory minimum five year term of imprisonment for the existing offences … Read More >>
ALHR is strongly opposed to this Bill and recommends that it be rejected in its entirety. The Bill gives private security officers the power to use force against people, including children, in immigration detention facilities that is greater than the force allowed in analogous State and Territory prison legislation. ALHR notes that most people in … Read More >>
