ALHR

South Australia is one step closer to a Human Rights Act, with the Social Development Committee of the South Australian Parliament committing to hold a parliamentary inquiry into how human rights across the State can be guaranteed and protected.  The announcement comes on Human Rights Day and exactly one year after a group of more … Read More >>

A major new report tabled yesterday by Commonwealth Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP in Federal Parliament, calls for an overhaul of Australia’s Human Rights framework and a Federal Human Rights Act to better protect the rights of all Australians. Ms Kerry Weste, President, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR), said, “We welcome the … Read More >>

More than 70 of Australia’s leading disability and civil society organisations have endorsed wide-ranging recommendations to reform the nation’s archaic and degrading migration health laws. The recommendations are  part of a submission made by the Welcoming Disability Campaign to a public review of Australia’s migration health requirement being conducted by the Federal Government. The recommendations … Read More >>

The landmark High Court judgment, which ruled it is unlawful and unconstitutional for the Australian Government to detain people indefinitely in immigration detention, should mark the end of a brutal chapter in Australia’s history. Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) NSW Co-Convenor, Ms Stephanie Lee said the decision is an historic judgment that corrects some … Read More >>

Leading human rights lawyers and disability justice experts are calling for an immediate end to indefinite detention laws in Australia that often see people with disabilities abused and victimised, their behaviour criminalised and often becoming victims of the criminal justice system rather than being managed through disability support services. The call follows the recent episode … Read More >>

Welcoming Disability, a joint civil society campaign led by Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) and Down Syndrome Australia, has welcomed the Disability Royal Commission’s recommendation to review discriminatory migration health requirements, which have been described as archaic and degrading by leading disability advocates. Under Australia’s current legal framework otherwise fully eligible visa applicants and … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes the NSW Government’s announcement of a proposed two-strike diversion scheme for all small quantity drug possession as a step in the right direction.  If implemented, people found in possession of small amounts of any illicit drug will receive a fine or access to health programs, rather than face … Read More >>