Australia failing to provide inclusive education for children with disabilities

posted on November 21, 2018

Campaign to highlight the rights of persons with disabilities in Australia shines a spotlight on segregation and limited inclusion in Australian schools. According to a paper published today, Australia continues to fail children with disabilities at school at a disturbing rate with little to no improvement. In recent years, there has been an alarming number … Read More >>

No excuses for delaying safety for refugees

posted on November 2, 2018

In response to reports that the Australian government will move to bring children from Nauru to Australia before the end of the year, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) says more needs to be done. ALHR President Kerry Weste said, “Australia remains legally responsible for every person it sent to Nauru and Papua New Guinea, … Read More >>

Human Rights Lawyers congratulate the Queensland Government for historic human rights law reform

posted on October 31, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the Queensland Government for introducing a Human Rights Bill. The Bill, which was tabled in Parliament by the Attorney-General today, protects a broad range of fundamental human rights and holds public entities responsible for protecting those rights when making decisions that impact on the rights of all Queenslanders. … Read More >>

Tonight’s Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the National Justice Project Dinner set to shine a light on the state of Indigenous Rights in Australia

posted on October 26, 2018

On Friday 26 October in Sydney, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) and the National Justice Project (NJP) are coming together to host Tony McAvoy SC, Larissa Behrendt, Michael Lavarch AO and Julian Burnside AO QC at a dinner in support of their organisations’ work to protect and promote human rights in Australia. The evening’s … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers welcome the establishment of the Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China

posted on October 23, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes the recently established Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC in the United Kingdom. The Tribunal will investigate forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience and consider the evidence to determine what criminal offences have been committed … Read More >>

Queensland commended for decriminalisation of abortion while NSW is called out as archaic

posted on October 18, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the Palaszczuk Government and Queensland parliament on yesterday’s passage of legislation to decriminalise abortion, and establish safe access zones around termination clinics. NSW is now the only jurisdiction in Australia where abortion remains a crime and, ALHR says, it must now act to address this anomaly. ALHR President … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers concerned electoral Bill could lead to attacks on personal privacy

posted on October 12, 2018

Lawyers have expressed concerns that changes to the Government’s proposed Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 (‘the Bill’) do not go far enough and that the Bill continues to exceed its stated aims of supporting both real and perceived integrity and fairness of elections by preventing undue influence in the democratic … Read More >>

New tenancy reforms to protect victims of domestic violence are a human rights win but NSW Parliament must also address unfair evictions

posted on October 12, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has joined the “Make Renting Fair” campaign in NSW with 90 other organisations urging the NSW Parliament to vote in favour of the Residential Tenancies Act (Review) Bill 2018, but with crucial amendments to make renting fair by removing unfair evictions. ALHR NSW Convenor Sarah Schwartz said, “We strongly … Read More >>

Australia needs a Human Rights Act, not a Religious Discrimination Act

posted on October 12, 2018

Leading human rights lawyers have expressed alarm at recent reports about leaked content of the Ruddock review into religious protections commissioned after last year’s postal vote on marriage equality. Instead of singling out the right to religious freedom, they are calling on the Morrison Government to introduce a national Human Rights Act to protect human … Read More >>

Human Rights lawyers call on Prime Minister to establish separate Royal Commission into abuse, violence and neglect in the disability care sector.

posted on September 21, 2018

Australia’s leading association of human rights lawyers has welcomed the Government’s recent announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, but is calling on the Government to go one step further and launch the long overdue Royal Commission into abuse, violence and neglect in the disability care sector. ALHR President Kerry Weste … Read More >>