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 >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is deeply disappointed that the recent release of the Nauru files – detailing assaults, sexual abuse, child abuse, self-harm attempts and dire living conditions – has not triggered major policy change by the Australian Government. Some 2,000 people remain trapped on Nauru and Manus Island. More than 1,400 of … Read More >>
In the wake of images of a teenage prisoner being punished with a spit mask over his head at a Brisbane Jail, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is calling on the Queensland Government to urgently increase the age of a child under the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 from 17 years to 18 years old … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has expressed its strong support for the decriminalisation of abortion in NSW. Benedict Coyne, ALHR President said, “Failure to provide safe, legal and accessible abortion services is a violation of fundamental human rights. ALHR supports the decriminalisation of abortion and the creation of exclusion zones surrounding abortion clinics as … Read More >>
A coalition of leading civil society groups, including Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR), has released a Joint Statement recommending actions for the Australian Government to implement the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. The Guiding Principles were unanimously endorsed by the UN Human Rights Council in 2011 and represent the global … Read More >>
Photo credit: Nauru regional processing facility. © DIAC images – / Wikipedia ALHR statement re Nauru reports released by the Guardian Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is deeply concerned by reports released today by The Guardian that reveal the extent of trauma and abuse – including assaults, sexual abuse, child abuse and attempted self-harm – … Read More >>
