School Climate Change Strikes: human rights lawyers call on politicians to respect children’s right to a healthy environment

posted on March 25, 2022

Leading human rights lawyers have spoken out in support of students’ right to attend today’s climate change strikes and to demand Australia take meaningful action to secure the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.  Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) President Kerry Weste said, “ALHR stands with children and young people around Australia … Read More >>

Australian human rights experts send a message to the Singapore Government over homosexual criminalisation

posted on March 17, 2022

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has expressed concern at  the retention of an  archaic and discriminatory law that criminalises homosexuality in Singapore. The comments  follow a challenge to the law in the Singapore Court of Appeal which ultimately dismissed the plaintiffs’ constitutional arguments for lack of standing. ALHR executive and LGBTI cochair, Nicholas Stewart, … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers call for immediate climate action following IPCC latest report

posted on March 4, 2022

Following release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) the nation’s leading association of human rights lawyers has warned that virtually all of the human rights Australia is obliged to uphold under core international treaties, depend on meaningful action on climate change. Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is calling on the … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers call out Tasmanian Senator for her “Save Women’s Sports” Bill, exposing legal deficiencies in proposed laws endorsed by the Prime Minister as “terrific”

posted on March 2, 2022

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has condemned Tasmanian Senator Claire Chandler’s “Save Women’s Sports Bill”, as divisive, completely lacking in any evidence-base and inconsistent with international human rights principles.  ALHR LGBTI Co-Chair, Georgia Burke, said, “The Bill is unnecessary because section 42(1) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 already allows people to be excluded … Read More >>

Religious Discrimination Bill fundamentally flawed and must be rejected

posted on February 4, 2022

Following today’s release of two key inquiry reports into the Morrison Government’s divisive Religious Discrimination Bill 2021, Australia’s leading association of human rights lawyers has said the entire Bill should be withdrawn because it is unworkable, at odds with Australia’s obligations under international human rights law and an unprecedented attack on existing anti-discrimination protections in … Read More >>

QLD Christian school’s contract of enrolment higlights human rights risks of Morrison Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill

posted on February 1, 2022

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has condemned Citipointe Christian College’s Contract of Enrolment as blatantly discriminatory, adding that it illustrates the serious human rights risks for LGBTIQ+ children, young people and the broader community if the Morrison Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill 2021 is passed. The Bill is due to return to the Federal Parliament … Read More >>

Survival Day Statement of Solidarity

posted on February 1, 2022

ALHR strives to walk in solidarity as a strong ally to First Nations people and communities. Today, on #InvasionDay2022 we call on the Australian Government to enshrine a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, guided by the Uluru Statement from the Heart and establish a Makarrata Commission for the purpose of treaty making … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers call on Morrison Government to support Nuclear Ban Treaty

posted on January 22, 2022

Today marks the first anniversary of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) coming into force. The TPNW establishes a comprehensive set of international legal prohibitions on participating in any nuclear weapon activities. Human rights lawyers are using today to call on the Morrison Government to support the Treaty. Australian Lawyers … Read More >>

Human Rights Day: It’s time for Australia to become a modern democracy

posted on December 10, 2021

Australia was integral to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now we are the only Western Democracy on the planet without a Federal Charter of Human Rights. Today is Human Rights Day and 73 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a document which underpins all international human rights law … Read More >>

Religious Discrimination Bill highly inconsistent with international human rights law

posted on November 27, 2021

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) believes the third version of the Federal Government’s Religious Discrimination Bill remains inconsistent with international human rights law and creates an extreme anti-human rights situation where all Australians can potentially be harmed by permissible discrimination on the basis of religious faith. ALHR President Kerry Weste said, “While ALHR welcomes … Read More >>

A huge win for democracy as the Senate rejects Government regulations which would silence Australian charities.

posted on November 25, 2021

Charity isn’t just about helping those in need – it’s about working for systemic change. This win ensures the long tradition of charitable advocacy continues. #HandsOffCharities MEDIA RELEASE Thursday, 25 November 2021 A WIN FOR DEMOCRACY COMMON SENSE PREVAILS IN CHARITY REGULATION FIGHTBACK Australia’s charities and not-for-profit sector is today relieved that common sense has … Read More >>