ALHR

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is deeply disappointed to see anti Safe Schools commentary at the Tasmanian Liberal Party annual state conference. While Tasmanian Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff supports Safe Schools, the state Liberal conference passed a motion to abolish the program. Opponents to Safe Schools also resorted to using inflammatory language. Federal funding … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) strongly reject the call for a ‘far reaching’ Parliamentary inquiry aimed at ‘scaling back’ s 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. When similar attempts were made to erode protections against hate speech under the Abbott Government, these changes were unequivocally proven to be unpopular with the majority of Australians. … Read More >>

Australian lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the Queensland Parliament on passing laws late Thursday night that will see and end to 17-year-old children being sent to adult jails. However, ALHR is also calling on the Queensland Government to act immediately to protect children who are currently serving sentences in adult jails and to address … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is very pleased to hear that Queensland Parliament has passed legislation allowing same sex adoption. Introduced by Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman, The Adoption and Other Legislation Amendment Bill will allow same-sex couples, singles and people undergoing fertility treatment to adopt under the new eligibility criteria. ALHR LGBTI Rights Subcommittee … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is calling on the Turnbull Government to accept an offer from the New Zealand Government to resettle refugees from Nauru and Manus Island and urges Members of Parliament to reject radical proposed legislation that would prevent irregular maritime arrivals – including recognised refugees – taken to a regional processing … Read More >>

President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR), Benedict Coyne, will meet this week with Mr Michael Forst, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, to discuss possible violations of the rights of local defenders of human rights. Mr Forst is currently on an official visit to … Read More >>

The Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) LGBTI Rights Subcommittee has joined over 80 organisations and leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities in signing onto a joint statement calling for a parliamentary vote on marriage equality. The High Court has unanimously stated that marriage equality is permitted under the Australian … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) calls loudly and proudly for a parliamentary vote on marriage equality rather than a patronising, painful and persecutory plebiscite. ALHR’s LGBTI Subcommittee Co-Chairs, Kathryn Cramp and Nicholas Stewart issued a statement this morning stating that: “Marriage equality must not come hand in hand with attacks on fundamental anti-discrimination laws … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) applauds AHRC President Gillian Triggs’ recent call to reignite the dialogue about a federal Bill of Rights for Australia. Australia remains alone among western liberal democracies and common law legal systems as bereft of a national bill of rights. ALHR President Benedict Coyne said, “The Parliament of Australia is … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) are gravely concerned about the operation of Queensland’s Jury Act after the High Court dismissed the appeal in Lyons v Queensland, upholding that the exclusion of deaf person, Gayle Lyons from performing jury duty is not direct or indirect discrimination under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld). Benedict Coyne, President … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has spoken out in support of statements made by the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement following news of the tragic death on Monday morning. Dr Amy Maguire, Co-Chair of ALHR’s Indigenous Rights subcommittee said, “ALHR is deeply saddened to hear of the death of a 29-year-old Indigenous inmate following an … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has urged the Tasmanian Parliament to reject changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas) (the Act) as set out in the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2016 (“2016), which was tabled in the lower house of the Tasmanian Parliament on 20 September 2016. The proposed changes would see a new exemption … Read More >>