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Discrimination Bill 2021, Australia’s leading association of human rights lawyers has said the entire Bill should be withdrawn because it is unworkable, at odds with Australia’s obligations under international human rights law and an unprecedented attack on existing anti-discrimination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 >>

Human Rights Lawyers Welcomes Inquiry into Gay Hate and Transgender Hate Crimes between 1970 and 2010

posted on November 5, 2021

Human Rights Lawyers Welcomes Inquiry into Gay Hate and Transgender Hate Crimes between 1970 and 2010 Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes the announcement from the New South Wales Government that it will establish a judicial inquiry into gay hate and transgender hate crimes between 1970 and 2010 (“the inquiry”). The judicial inquiry follows … Read More >>

Human Rights Lawyers welcome the Australian Human Rights Commission Report on the rights of people born with variations in sex characteristics

posted on October 20, 2021

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) LGBT Co-Chairs, Georgia Burke and Nicholas Stewart, stand with the intersex community to welcome the Australian Human Rights Commission’s “Ensuring health and bodily integrity (2021)” report, released on 18 October 2021. Georgia and Nicholas said: “Intersex people form a diverse population with many different kinds of bodies, sex characteristics, … Read More >>

BREAKING: Top UN Human Rights body recognises right to a sustainable environment, appoints independent expert

posted on October 9, 2021

 Australian human rights experts welcome news overnight that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has recognised the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and appointed a new Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change. Two resolutions were comfortably passed. The first, proposed by Costa Rica, The Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia … Read More >>