The Australian Government recently announced that it is considering a model for large businesses to publicly report on their actions to address supply chain exploitation. This model could potentially follow that of the UK Modern Slavery Act, introduced in 2015 to address the issue of slavery in supply chains via enhanced corporate transparency. The UK … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the South Australian Parliament for enacting four important pieces of legislation that will protect the rights of LGBTI South Australians. Today, in the last sitting week of parliament, the Legislative Council passed the following bills into law: – The Statutes Amendment (Surrogacy Eligibility) Bill 2016 – The Adoption … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is pleased to see Queensland follow New South Wales and Victoria to expunge convictions for homosexuality. In an important step to rectify a history of discrimination, Queensland’s Attorney-General Yvette D’Arth has introduced the draft bill to Parliament. This will affect hundreds of men convicted under Queensland law for consensual … Read More >>
Modern Slavery pollutes global and domestic supply chains and permeates economic activity. It desperately needs addressing to end the exploitation of vulnerable workers, both at home and overseas. Amy Sinclair, Chair of our Business and Human Rights Subcommittee, has been working to address this and ALHR is proud to support business, anti-slavery and religious groups … Read More >>
ALHR’s Refugee Rights Subcommittee has been advocating strongly against the Federal Government’s proposed permanent ban on certain refugees ever entering Australia, even on a tourist visa. Under the proposed legislation, persons who arrived in Australia by boat on or after 19 July 2013 and who were over 18 years old at the time they were taken … Read More >>
On 14 November Kahn Hoang and Rebecca Dowd, Co-Chairs of ALHR’s Refugee Rights Subcommittee met with the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of migrants in Sydney along with other NGO organisations. The meeting went for about 75 mins and the Rapporteur took views from all interested parties in in a round-table discussion. ALHR made … Read More >>
Amy Sinclair, Chair of ALHR’s Business and Human Rights Subcommittee has just returned from Geneva where she represented ALHR at the 2016 UN Forum on Business and Human Rights which was held from 14-16 November. The UN Forum is the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights with some 2,300 participants from government, business, community … Read More >>
Gravillea section of Barwon prison. Photo: Angela Wylie Andrews Government subjecting children to appalling conditions in maximum security adult prisons Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is deeply concerned for the wellbeing of the children recently transferred to Barwon maximum security adult prison following allegations they have already been subjected to inappropriate treatment and conditions. ALHR … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) believes that all human rights should be protected in Australia at the federal level through the adoption of an Australian Bill of Rights. But until that until that day comes, it is essential for us to support and strengthen the reasonable protections from racial vilification contained in sections 18C … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has condemned Premier Daniel Andrews’ decision to send 40 children to adult jails in Victoria, stating there are no circumstances that justify the placement of children in the adult prison system. We have today written to Premier Andrews urging his government to reconsider this flagrant breach of the Convention … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) strongly supports recommendations submitted by the First Nations Deaths in Custody Watch Committee of Western Australia (Watch Committee) to the 2016 Asia Pacific Coroners’ Society Conference on Friday. David Woodrofe, Co-Chair of ALHR’s Indigenous Rights Subcommittee said, “The Watch Committee has called on State and Territory governments to take … Read More >>
