Australia was integral to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Now we are the only Western Democracy without a Federal Charter of Human Rights. Today is Human Rights Day and 72 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), a document which underpins all international human rights law and inspires us … Read More >>
Today, over 20 Afghan, Australian and international human rights and legal organisations, including ALHR, wrote to the Assistant Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force, Major General Justice Paul Brereton, urging him to commit to releasing the report of the Inquiry into allegations of breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) by Australian special forces in Afghanistan. … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has joined 89 organisations in a joint statement and new website opposing One Nation’s Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (the Bill) and supporting laws in NSW that protect everyone equally. In August, ALHR made a detailed submission to the NSW Joint Select Committee condemning the proposed … Read More >>
UNDERSTANDING CLIMATE CHANGE LAW FROM AN AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE 5:30pm (AEST) Wednesday 23 September 2020 Earn 1.5 CPD points and learn from international climate change and business and human rights experts. This virtual event co-hosted by Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and Johnson Winter & Slattery aims to provide participants with the fundamentals of … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has written urging the Senate to oppose the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020. ALHR President Kerry Weste said, “The Bill seeks to expand both the Minister’s powers to determine items to be ‘prohibited’ and authorised officers’ screening, search and seizure powers, in a way … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) celebrates Wear it Purple 2020, a day where schools and workplaces are encouraged to wear purple as a symbol of fostering supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for LGBTIQA+ young people. ALHR LGBT Rights Co-chair Georgia Burke said, “Studies of LGBTIQA+ students have shown that these young people represent … Read More >>
ALHR is very proud to co-convene the Human Rights for NSW Alliance with NSWCCL, a campaign which brings together over 30 organisations who support the introduction of a Human Rights Act for NSW. We are thrilled to invite you to Affinity’s webinar episode in collaboration with NSW Council for Civil Liberties & Whitlam Institute. Registration … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has made a submission to the NSW Joint Select Committee on Mark Latham’s Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Freedoms and Equality) Bill 2020 (the Bill), condemning the proposed reforms as inconsistent with Australia’s international human rights law obligations. ALHR President Kerry Weste said, “This is a deeply flawed Bill that, if … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has written to the Premier and Attorney General expressing serious concern about NSW One Nation Leader Mark Latham’s Education Legislation Amendment (Parental Rights) Bill 2020 (the Bill). ALHR has warned that, if passed, the private member’s Bill will significantly impact the human rights of LGBT young people. ALHR President … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has joined calls for urgent action by the NSW and ACT Governments to address the crisis of Indigenous overrepresentation in their criminal justice systems. With recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showing that Indigenous people in NSW are imprisoned at a rate of more than 10 … Read More >>
ALHR has continued to voice concern about Rio Tinto’s destruction of the Juukan Gorge rockshelters, a place of significant cultural and spiritual importance to the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people. Archaeological evidence suggests the sites dated back 46,000 years, making it one of the oldest known areas for human occupation within the Australian deserts. Our … Read More >>
Human rights lawyers have welcomed the passage of a West Australian bill to end the controversial imprisonment of residents with unpaid fines. In 2014, when Yamatji woman, Ms Dhu, died in custody while serving a sentence for defaulting on her fines, this archaic practice was cast into the national spotlight. The change is long overdue … Read More >>
