ALHR

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 >>

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 >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is concerned amendments to the NSW Modern Slavery Act 2018 (the NSW Act) passed by Parliament this week will significantly weaken the ability to detect, expose and reduce modern slavery.   ALHR welcomes a number of amendments including ensuring the Act commences as soon as possible and the inclusion of … Read More >>

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 >>

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 >>

 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 >>

Australian human rights experts are hopeful the next session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), beginning on 13 September, will see the Core Group on Human Rights and the Environment table a joint resolution to recognise the right to a healthy environment. The Core Group includes the governments of Costa Rica, the Maldives, … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) LGBT Co-Chairs, Georgia Burke and Nicholas Stewart, welcome recent progress within NSW towards identifying suspects allegedly involved in historical LGBT murders.  Georgia and Nicholas said: “While ALHR cannot comment on the details of  arrests, we can say that this has been, and remains, a long and difficult journey for … Read More >>

This Homelessness Week, leading human rights lawyers are calling for laws to protect the fundamental right to adequate housing. More than 116,000 experience homelessness in Australia on any given night, with many more at risk of homelessness. The largest number of those experiencing homelessness are women and children escaping family violence. And many more women … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has called on the Morrison Government to urgently fix its amended travel ban on Australians leaving the country so that decisions of the Australian Border Force (ABF) can be appealed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). ALHR’s Democratic Freedoms Chair Valerie Heath said, “Despite reports yesterday that Minister Andrews claims Australians … Read More >>

ALHR has joined with 46 organisations in an open letter led by  People With Disability Australia (PWDA) calling on the Commonwealth Attorney-General to rewrite Australia’s disability discrimination laws. ALHR Vice President and Chair of Disability Rights, Natalie Wade, is spokeswoman: “A frustrated alliance of lawyers and community organisations has lobbied the Commonwealth Attorney-General to rewrite Australia’s … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes the Federal Government’s recent Joint statement with New Zealand on Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang, particularly its call on China to grant meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for United Nations experts, and other independent observers. Madeleine Bridgett, Co-Chair of ALHR’s Business and Human Rights Subcommittee said, “There … Read More >>