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Human rights lawyers welcome the establishment of the Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China

posted on October 23, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes the recently established Independent Tribunal into Forced Organ Harvesting from Prisoners of Conscience in China chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC in the United Kingdom. The Tribunal will investigate forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience and consider the evidence to determine what criminal offences have been committed … Read More >>

Queensland commended for decriminalisation of abortion while NSW is called out as archaic

posted on October 18, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the Palaszczuk Government and Queensland parliament on yesterday’s passage of legislation to decriminalise abortion, and establish safe access zones around termination clinics. NSW is now the only jurisdiction in Australia where abortion remains a crime and, ALHR says, it must now act to address this anomaly. ALHR President … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers concerned electoral Bill could lead to attacks on personal privacy

posted on October 12, 2018

Lawyers have expressed concerns that changes to the Government’s proposed Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 (‘the Bill’) do not go far enough and that the Bill continues to exceed its stated aims of supporting both real and perceived integrity and fairness of elections by preventing undue influence in the democratic … Read More >>

New tenancy reforms to protect victims of domestic violence are a human rights win but NSW Parliament must also address unfair evictions

posted on October 12, 2018

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has joined the “Make Renting Fair” campaign in NSW with 90 other organisations urging the NSW Parliament to vote in favour of the Residential Tenancies Act (Review) Bill 2018, but with crucial amendments to make renting fair by removing unfair evictions. ALHR NSW Convenor Sarah Schwartz said, “We strongly … Read More >>

Australia needs a Human Rights Act, not a Religious Discrimination Act

posted on October 12, 2018

Leading human rights lawyers have expressed alarm at recent reports about leaked content of the Ruddock review into religious protections commissioned after last year’s postal vote on marriage equality. Instead of singling out the right to religious freedom, they are calling on the Morrison Government to introduce a national Human Rights Act to protect human … Read More >>

Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017

posted on September 29, 2018

ALHR has made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters Inquiry into the revisions to the proposed Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017 (‘the Bill’) which substantially amend the original version following the Committee’s Advisory Report of April 2018. ALHR noted that the time frame for considering the revised Bill has … Read More >>

Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018 QLD

posted on September 28, 2018

ALHR made a submission to the Health, Communities, Disabilities Services and Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee Inquiry into the Termination of Pregnancy Bill 2018 QLD. It is ALHR’s view that criminal provisions relating to termination of pregnancy should be repealed and that, in order for Australia to comply with its international human rights law obligations,, termination … Read More >>

Australia’s proposed encryption legislation disastrous for right to privacy and global communications security

posted on September 28, 2018

  Leading human rights law experts have warned the Minister for Home Affairs that the Government’s Bill to provide law enforcement and security agencies with new powers to access every Australian’s communications data has significant privacy implications. The Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 (The Bill) seeks to respond to the … Read More >>

Migration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018

posted on September 27, 2018

Australian lawyers for Human Rights has made a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee regarding our serious concerns with the Migration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018. On 3 September 2018, ALHR President, Kerry West appeared before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to give evidence about ALHR’s submission. ALHR believes that the Bill … Read More >>

Human Rights lawyers call on Prime Minister to establish separate Royal Commission into abuse, violence and neglect in the disability care sector.

posted on September 21, 2018

Australia’s leading association of human rights lawyers has welcomed the Government’s recent announcement of a Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, but is calling on the Government to go one step further and launch the long overdue Royal Commission into abuse, violence and neglect in the disability care sector. ALHR President Kerry Weste … Read More >>