Proposed laws to increase mandatory minimum sentences, currently before the Western Australian parliament show why Western Australia and Australia need a Bill of Rights, say the Australian Lawyers for Human Rights. The Criminal Law (Home Burglary and Other Offences) Bill 2014 alters the current “three strike” policy by allowing first-time offenders to be imprisoned after … Read More >>
ALHR strongly opposes the adoption of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Bill 2014. “This Bill” says ALHR President, Nathan Kennedy, “is an insult to all Australians. It imposes blanket data collection on us all for surveillance purposes. It assumes every man, woman and child is potentially capable of such criminal activity that … Read More >>
Australian Human Rights Commission Report Reveals Policy of Child Abuse The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) today released its report, The Forgotten Children, providing a comprehensive overview of the degrading conditions in which children seeking asylum are forced to live as a result of current Australian law and policy. The report is the culmination of … Read More >>
ALHR opposes the adoption of the Fair Work Amendment (Bargaining Processes) Bill 2014. “This Bill” says ALHR President, Nathan Kennedy, “restricts the autonomy of workers in the collective bargaining process and tests their claims against possible productivity changes. It does this in two ways: (1) byrequiring‘improvementstoproductivity’tobediscussedduringenterprisebargaining;and (2) by restricting Fair Work Commission approval of protected … Read More >>
MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Department of Social Services has announced that it will discontinue $280,000 in annual Commonwealth funding for a family program run by the Karralika Programs drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. Ben Ettinger, the Convenor of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights in the Australian Capital Territory, expressed dismay at the decision. … Read More >>
Lawyers in Queensland have joined the debate about the sponsorship of Queensland Police by private corporations such as Santos. “The independence of the Australian police is fundamental to our democracy and our human rights” said Nathan Kennedy, lawyer and President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR). “The sponsorship of the State’s Police Force by … Read More >>
The UN Committee against Torture has found Australia’s policy of intercepting and turning back boats is done without consideration of the country’s obligations under article 3 of the UN Convention against Torture. The Committee said the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 puts Australia at grave risk of … Read More >>
Australia Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) on delivering the report, Equality, Capacity and Disability in Commonwealth Laws. Nathan Kennedy, President of ALHR briefly explains that “the Report advocates for a new “Commonwealth decision-making model” that emphasises ‘supporters’ and ‘representatives’ for people with disabilities rather than substituted decision making”. … Read More >>
In a statement issued today Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) urges the government to protect Australians with a Federal human rights charter in the wake of the High Court’s rejection of a challenge to the Queensland bikie laws. ALHR insists the High Court’s rejection of the challenge highlighted once again the dangerous lack of protection … Read More >>
Media release For immediate release 17 October 2014 ‘Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes the current review by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights of the Stronger Futures legislation’ says Nathan Kennedy, President of ALHR. ‘ALHR agrees with the Committee that the government needs to demonstrate, rather than simply state, how the measures … Read More >>
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has introduced two new Bills to Parliament that propose to breach Australia’s obligations under international law. The Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 will re-introduce Temporary Protection Visas and redefine established principles of international law to suit the agenda of the Liberal-National Coalition Government. … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights is deeply concerned by reports this week that inadequate medical care in immigration detention facilities on Manus Island has left Iranian man, Hamid Kehazaei, brain dead after an infected cut to his foot led to septicaemia. The right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of … Read More >>
