ALHR

ALHR recently made a submission to the Attorney-General’s Department consultation on strengthening Australia’s legislative response to modern slavery in supply chains. The consultation proposes a new offence of failing to prevent modern slavery, along with associated enforcement mechanisms. ALHR welcomes the proposed offence as a significant step forward. The current reporting regime under the Modern … Read More >>

In August 2025 ALHR made a submission to the Attorney General’s Department consultation on the options to strengthen the transparency framework, simplify and improve reporting, and target non-compliance with the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth). Our submission addresses the 37 questions of the consultation and presents below a summary of the key points and recommendations for … Read More >>

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Joint Report on behalf of the Australian NGO Coalition has been submitted to the UN. The Report, from more than 150 NGOs – including ALHR – shows that human rights are sliding backwards and we are falling far short of meeting our international obligations. Globally, Australians are amongst the only … Read More >>

ALHR’s Women and Girls’ Rights Committee has submitted a report to Australia’s fourth Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations (UPR). As lead authors and contributors to the UPR Report on behalf of the Australian NGO Coalition, ALHR also strongly endorses all of the recommendations in that report. Our report emphasises some key areas of progress and concern for the … Read More >>

On Tuesday 18 February the NSW Government introduced the Crimes Amendment (Inciting Racial Hatred) Bill 2025 (the Bill). The Bill will amend section 93Z of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) to create a new criminal offence of intentionally inciting racial hatred. The offence will carry a maximum penalty of two years in prison, fines of … Read More >>

ALHR recently made a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia’s efforts to advocate for the global abolition of the death penalty. Our submission supports Australia’s strategy and includes strong recommendations for the Australian government to publicly and proactively fulfil its commitments and enhance its leadership in the Asia Pacific region. We also call for … Read More >>

ALHR has provided a submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) consultation on LGBTQIA+ human rights in Australia’s development program.  Despite engagement with LGBTQIA+ rights internationally, Australia has not, to date, developed a formal LGBTQIA+ foreign policy strategy.  We therefore welcome the Federal Government’s intention to increase its support and advocacy for … Read More >>

ALHR made a submission to NSW’s Portfolio Committee No. 7 – Planning and Environment, providing feedback on the Climate Change (Net Zero Future) Bill 2023 (NSW) (“the Bill”). Our submission was solely directed towards the Bill’s inclusion of the human right to a healthy environment as a guiding principle, and does not otherwise comment on the … Read More >>

ALHR made a submission to the ACT’s Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety (the Committee) providing feedback on the Human Rights (Healthy Environment) Amendment Bill 2023 (‘the Bill’). ALHR’s submission outlines our support for the articulation of the right to a healthy environment in the Bill, our significant concerns with the non-justiciability of that right … Read More >>

ALHR commends the Federal Attorney-General, the Hon. Mark Dreyfus KC, on the establishment of a PJCHR Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry to investigate Australia’s human rights framework, with a focus on whether the Federal Government should introduce a federal human rights Act.  For thirty years ALHR has called on Australia to comprehensively incorporate … Read More >>

In late April ALHR provided a submission to the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet as part of the consultation on the National Strategy for Gender Equality (the National Strategy). Australia’s latest Status of Women Report Card, released 8 March 2023, made plain that women are still facing persistent, entrenched and systemic inequality. Women in Australia … Read More >>

In January 2023 ALHR submitted a Shadow Report to the United Nations Committee Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women regarding aspects of Australia’s compliance with the the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Since the last reporting cycle, Australia has taken a number of positive steps to … Read More >>