Australian Lawyers for Human Rights calls on State and Territory Governments to Support Safe Schools

posted on November 7, 2016

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 >>

ALHR supports an Australia of respect, not of hate speech

posted on November 7, 2016

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 >>

ALHR Congratulates Queensland Parliament on Passing Laws to Stop Sending 17-Year-Olds to Adult Jails but Calls on the Government to Act to Protect Children Already in Custody.

posted on November 4, 2016

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 welcome the introduction of Same Sex Adoption in Queensland

posted on November 4, 2016

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 >>

Turnbull Government should accept New Zealand offer and avoid ‘cruel and punitive’ measures

posted on November 1, 2016

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 >>

Leading Australian Rights Lawyers Meet with UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Brisbane

posted on October 13, 2016

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 >>

Joint Statement Calls on Australian Parliament to Ensure All Australians Can Marry the Person They Love.

posted on October 11, 2016

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 OPPOSE POPULIST PLEBISCITE

posted on October 9, 2016

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 >>

Alert and Alarmed; Lawyers Back President Triggs on Federal Bill of Rights: Judges and Lawyers Must Lead

posted on October 5, 2016

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 >>

Leading Human Rights Lawyers Call for Immediate Law Reform for the Equality of Deaf Jurors

posted on October 5, 2016

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 >>

Human rights lawyers call for independent inquiry into death of 29-year-old

posted on September 28, 2016

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 >>

Legal body slams Tasmanian proposal to permit hate speech

posted on September 23, 2016

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 >>