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‘Traditional’ rights and freedoms – Encroachments by Commonwealth Laws’ – Interim Report

posted on August 7, 2015

UPDATE The ALRC has released its Interim Report which reflects the law as at 17 July 2015. Attached is a copy of the report titled ‘Traditional’ rights and freedoms – Encroachments by Commonwealth Laws’.   ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ In February 2015, ALHR submitted to the ALRC that: International human rights standards are the criteria by which the … Read More >>

Joint Statement of Support for Adam Goodes

posted on August 4, 2015

Some of Australia’s largest companies have joined over 150 of Australia’s corporate, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and community organisations to issue a joint statement to call for renewed efforts to stamp out racism in sport and in everyday life.   ALHR is in support and will stand together to not only lend our support to … Read More >>

Australia’s Human Rights Scorecard: Update

posted on August 4, 2015

The UPR Coordinating Committee (HRLC, NACLC and KLC) has provided an update on its work leading up to Australia’s Universal Periodic Review in November including fact sheets on key human rights issues in Australia. ————————————– Since lodging our Joint NGO Submission in March, we’ve been working with the UPR NGO Advisory Committee to prepare UPR Fact … Read More >>

Failure to fund the CNS may see the return of Indigenous deaths in custody

posted on August 4, 2015

Update We have received a response from Senator Scullion, attached below is the response. ——————————————————————————————– Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is warning that failure to fund the Custody Notification Service (CNS) successfully operated by Aboriginal Legal Service NSW & ACT for 15 years may ultimately result in a return to Indigenous deaths in police custody in … Read More >>

Submission in Response to OHCHR Corporate Accountability and Remedy Project

posted on July 28, 2015

ALHR has made a submission in response to the OHCHR’s global consultation initiative on business and human rights (the ‘Accountability and Remedy Project’). The aim of the Accountability and Remedy Project is to gather information on corporate accountability for human rights abuses in different legal jurisdictions. The Accountability and Remedy Project seeks information on corporate … Read More >>

Turnback policy is pandering to the politics of fear

posted on July 26, 2015

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights strongly endorses the below press release from the Refugee Council of Australia: Refugee Council of Australia July 22nd 2015 Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Shadow Immigration Minister Richard Marles are pandering to the politics of fear by supporting the forced turnbacks of asylum seeker boats, the Refugee Council of Australia … Read More >>

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) supports presumption of innocence and fair trials, argues automatic termination of citizenship is discriminatory and counterproductive

posted on July 21, 2015

“ALHR believes that Australia should deal with Australian criminals and terrorists in our own courts and not put them beyond the reach of Australian law by terminating their citizenship” says ALHR President Nathan Kennedy about the Federal Government’s proposed amendments to the Australian Citizenship Act.   “Nor do we agree with automatic termination of citizenship for … Read More >>

International human rights must be addressed by Senate Inquiry into education for students with disabilities

posted on July 6, 2015

Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) strongly supports the Senate Inquiry into the education of students with disabilities.  Recent reports of students with disabilities being targeted and improperly treated in schools throughout Australia must be properly examined and the respective bodies be held to account.  “Education is fundamental human right and one which must be … Read More >>

ALHR endorses concerns about Australian Border Force Act

posted on July 1, 2015

“ALHR endorses the concerns expressed in the open letter published today from 40 medical, educational and humanitarian detention centre staff” says President Nathan Kennedy. “The Border Force Act imposes disproportionate and unreasonable penalties upon Australians. It infringes rights to free speech” says Mr Kennedy. “It overrides the ethical obligations of health workers, and even their … Read More >>

Upcoming Refugee Week event presented by the Kaldor Centre and RACS

posted on June 12, 2015

Our friends at the Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law and the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) invite ALHR members to attend an upcoming seminar on representing refugees today. The event will feature a panel discussion on legal sector responses to changes in asylum seeker policy and funding. Details: Wednesday 17 June … Read More >>

ALHR calls for funding of the Custody Notification Service (CNS)

posted on June 10, 2015

ALHR has called on the Commonwealth Attorney-General and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs to take urgent action to secure funding for the Custody Notification Service (CNS) operated by Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW & ACT) Limited (ALS). There have been no deaths in police custody in NSW or the ACT since the phone line began in … Read More >>