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Joint Statement Calls on Australian Parliament to Ensure All Australians Can Marry the Person They Love.

posted on October 11, 2016

The Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) LGBTI Rights Subcommittee has joined over 80 organisations and leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities in signing onto a joint statement calling for a parliamentary vote on marriage equality. The High Court has unanimously stated that marriage equality is permitted under the Australian … Read More >>

Natalie Wade, Chair of ALHR’s Disability Rights Subcommittee Named Law Council’s 2016 Young Lawyer of the Year

posted on October 10, 2016

ALHR extends it warmest congratulations to Natalie Wade, Chair of our Disability Rights Subcommittee, on being named the Law Council’s 2016 Young Lawyer of the Year. We are extremely fortunate to have Natalie leading ALHR’s advocacy on disability rights and being an integral part of our National Committee. Congratulations Natalie! Read the Law Council’s press … Read More >>

AUSTRALIAN LAWYERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS OPPOSE POPULIST PLEBISCITE

posted on October 9, 2016

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) calls loudly and proudly for a parliamentary vote on marriage equality rather than a patronising, painful and persecutory plebiscite. ALHR’s LGBTI Subcommittee Co-Chairs, Kathryn Cramp and Nicholas Stewart issued a statement this morning stating that: “Marriage equality must not come hand in hand with attacks on fundamental anti-discrimination laws … Read More >>

Alert and Alarmed; Lawyers Back President Triggs on Federal Bill of Rights: Judges and Lawyers Must Lead

posted on October 5, 2016

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) applauds AHRC President Gillian Triggs’ recent call to reignite the dialogue about a federal Bill of Rights for Australia. Australia remains alone among western liberal democracies and common law legal systems as bereft of a national bill of rights. ALHR President Benedict Coyne said, “The Parliament of Australia is … Read More >>

Leading Human Rights Lawyers Call for Immediate Law Reform for the Equality of Deaf Jurors

posted on October 5, 2016

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) are gravely concerned about the operation of Queensland’s Jury Act after the High Court dismissed the appeal in Lyons v Queensland, upholding that the exclusion of deaf person, Gayle Lyons from performing jury duty is not direct or indirect discrimination under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld). Benedict Coyne, President … Read More >>

SA: Human Rights and the War on Terror

posted on October 4, 2016

By Stephen Kenny, Camatta Lempens Lawyers When: 5:45pm to 6:45pm, Wednesday 9 November 2016 Where: Moot Court, Ligertwood Building, University of Adelaide ALHR SA is delighted to present renowned human rights lawyer, Stephen Kenny, who will speak about human rights in the context of the ever-present “War on Terror”.  Details of this free event, and … Read More >>

Gender-based violence on Nauru

posted on September 29, 2016

Idil Mohamud and Sophie Hantz are students of the La Trobe Law School, undertaking an internship with Australian Lawyers for Human Rights  and are currently compiling a brief of evidence for ALHR’s Women and Girls’ Rights Subcommittee for a possible CEDAW complaint on behalf of the asylum seeker and refugee women in Nauru. Idil and Sophie have written a blog … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers call for independent inquiry into death of 29-year-old

posted on September 28, 2016

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has spoken out in support of statements made by the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement following news of the tragic death on Monday morning. Dr Amy Maguire, Co-Chair of ALHR’s Indigenous Rights subcommittee said, “ALHR is deeply saddened to hear of the death of a 29-year-old Indigenous inmate following an … Read More >>

Legal body slams Tasmanian proposal to permit hate speech

posted on September 23, 2016

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) has urged the Tasmanian Parliament to reject changes to the Anti-Discrimination Act 1998 (Tas) (the Act) as set out in the Anti-Discrimination Amendment Bill 2016 (“2016), which was tabled in the lower house of the Tasmanian Parliament on 20 September 2016. The proposed changes would see a new exemption … Read More >>

Human rights lawyers welcome WA sentencing reforms

posted on September 22, 2016

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) welcomes a West Australian bill intended to reduce the number of Indigenous people being imprisoned for failure to pay fines. The Sentencing Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 proposes to give Western Australian criminal courts wider discretion in sentencing low-level offences. In particular it aims to divert first-time offenders away from incarceration … Read More >>

ALHR Congratulates QLD Premier on decision to introduce legislation that will see 17-year-olds removed from the State’s adult prisons within a year

posted on September 22, 2016

ALHR has written to the Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, congratulating her Government on its decision to introduce legislation that will see 17-year-olds removed from the State’s adult prisons within a year. ALHR has long campaigned for the Queensland government to act to address this violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and recently stepped … Read More >>