Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has expressed concern over the recent death of a man after a taser was used on him by ACT police officers. In some Australian states, due to their high volatility and danger, the use of tasers by police is restricted special operations groups. Despite the incident, the ACT Police … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is seriously concerned about the situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine state. To help Australians understand what is happening to the Rohinya population in Myanmar, ALHR has conducted a legal analysis applying International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and International Criminal Law (ICL) to the conduct perpetrated by the Myanmar security forces. ALHR’s … Read More >>
The Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has slammed a secretive New South Wales Police program which disproportionately targets young people, particularly Aboriginal youth, for pre-emptive policing. ALHR Vice President Kerry Weste said, “The Suspect Target Management Plan enables any NSW police officer to place people, including minors, who have never been convicted of an … Read More >>
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to rule out an Indigenous ‘Voice to Parliament’, (as proposed in the Referendum Council’s “Uluru Statement from the Heart”) as “not desirable”, is erroneous and misconceived, says Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) President Benedict Coyne. ALHR calls on the government to reconsider this misguided position and instead embrace the … Read More >>
As the voting period on Marriage Equality comes to an end, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) are seeking to remind the Australian community of the human rights reasons to vote ‘yes’ before the cut off time of 6pm on 7 November 2017. ALHR LGBTI subcommittee co-chair, Nicholas Stewart said, “At present LGBTI couples do … Read More >>
“Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) strongly opposes proposed amendments to the Commonwealth Migration Act, which have the potential to further trample the human rights of innocent people in Australian immigration detention, thereby amplifying and aggravating their existing traumas” says ALHR President Benedict Coyne. “The amendments would allow dog searches, strip searches and warrantless searches, … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has welcomed a Victorian Magistrates Court decision this week which confirmed the lawfulness of safe access zones around reproductive health clinics in Victoria and saw the first conviction of an anti-abortion protestor under the legislation. These important legislative measures make it unlawful to harass and intimidate people or to … Read More >>
“Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has stated its opposition to proposed amendments to the Commonwealth Criminal Code* which create an offence for conduct which could be taken as implying that the person represents either a real or fictitious Commonwealth body. Such conduct is punishable with up to five (5) years imprisonment where there is … Read More >>
Photo Credit: A chairs used to restrain an autistic child at a NSW school. Picture: 7.30/ABCSource:ABC Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is alarmed at a recent report of the restraint of a seven-year-old autistic boy in his classroom in NSW. ALHR is outraged at the use of restrictive practices against children with disabilities in schools, … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) renews its call for a Commonwealth Human Rights Act amid fears the Australian Government is once more abandoning vital principles that form the bedrock of our criminal justice system in knee-jerk anti-terror proposals – this time involving extended incarceration without charge, a database of biometric facial recognition of all … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) supports those submissions to the NSW Parliamentary Committee on Children and Young People’s current Inquiry into the prevention of youth suicide which call for improvements to the care of LGBTI students and for improvements to school anti-bullying and teaching programmes. “It is extremely disturbing,” say LGBTI Committee Co-Chairs Nicholas … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is extremely saddened by the recent death of a man on Manus Island. Scott Cosgriff, co-chair of ALHR’s Refugee Rights Subcommittee said, “This is the ninth death since offshore processing began in August 2012 and the second on Manus in only the last two months.” “This tragedy, like those … Read More >>
