Natalie Wade, the Chair of ALHR’s National Disability Rights Subcommittee has written an article for the Australian lawyers Alliance on the rights of deaf jurors. The denial of a deaf person’s right to exercise their citizenship by participating in juries in Australian courts is longstanding. The stereotyped perceptions against deaf jurors being able to perform … Read More >>
Leading Lawyers Commend Committee’s Call for Queensland Human Rights Act Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) applauds the recommendation by the Parliament’s Human Rights Inquiry that a Human Rights Act be legislated by the Queensland government but is concerned that the model recommended would not create any legally enforceable rights. ALHR President, Benedict Coyne said, … Read More >>
Benedict Coyne, President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) attended the launch of the Victorian Legal Aid Legacy Caseload Initiative on Sunday 17 April 2016. The initiative is in partnership with Justice Connect, Refugee Legal (Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre Inc) and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Following the launch, ALHR wrote to the … Read More >>
In semester 1, 2016 under the guidance of ALHR’s Secretariat, Ms Randa Rafiq and Nicole Shackleton (La Trobe Volunteer Coordinator) thirteen La Trobe students undertook a voluntary placement with ALHR. The students worked on four projects over the semester. The projects were in the areas of disability and housing rights, refugee rights, women rights (in particular, the … Read More >>
A landmark study into the rights of Australia’s children has found state and federal governments have repeatedly breached the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child over the past 25 years. The Child Rights Progress Report has been prepared by the Australian Child Rights Taskforce, Australia’s peak child rights network, made up of more … Read More >>
ALHR has written to the Northern Territory’s Chief Minister, Attorney-General, members of the shadow ministry and the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner outlining concerns proposed presumptions against bail to be introduced with the Northern Territory Bail Amendment Bill 2016. ALHR Vice President Kerry Weste said, “The proposed Bill will establish a regime that is not only costly and … Read More >>
Edmund Simpson, currently in his penultimate year of a Bachelor of Laws (graduate entry) at La Trobe Law School has written about his experience volunteering for ALHR. Edmund was amongst thirteen La Trobe students who, under the guidance of ALHR’s Secretariat, Ms Randa Rafiq and Nicole Shackleton (La Trobe Volunteer Coordinator) undertook a voluntary placement with ALHR in … Read More >>
One of Australia’s leading human rights organisations has spoken out in support of the retention of a mural in Darwin’s CBD that depicts the West Papuan “Morning Star” flag. The “Morning Star” flag is a defining symbol of the West Papuan independence movement, which calls for West Papuan independence from Indonesia. Benedict Coyne President of … Read More >>
ALHR fears proposed legislation removing the presumption of bail for some juvenile offenders in the Northern Territory threatens to breach Australia’s international human rights obligations. The NT Chief Minister has stated that his government intends to introduce legislation that would see a presumption against bail for juveniles accused of repeat property offences. Australian lawyers for … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) today put its support behind an unprecedented national ‘Legal Aid Matters’ campaign aimed at ensuring the next Federal Government responds decisively to Australia’s legal aid funding crisis. Vice President Kerry Weste said that “with rallies and events occurring in major cities in this National Law Week, the Legal Aid Matters … Read More >>
On Sunday 17 April 2016, ALHR President Benedict Coyne attended the launch of the Victorian Legal Aid Legacy Caseload Initiative. This initiative will help up to 11,000 asylum seekers living in Victoria get the legal assistance they need to have their claims for protection assessed fairly. Launched by the Attorney-General Martin Pakula, the two-year initiative … Read More >>
“Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) supports the decriminalisation of abortion. Access to safe, legal and affordable abortion services is a personal health matter as well as a matter of women’s sexual and reproductive health rights,” said Queensland Co-Convenor, Kate Marchesi. “Women who seek abortions should not be treated as criminals and the majority of … Read More >>
