The UN Committee against Torture has found Australia’s policy of intercepting and turning back boats is done without consideration of the country’s obligations under article 3 of the UN Convention against Torture. The Committee said the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 puts Australia at grave risk of … Read More >>
Australia Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) congratulates the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) on delivering the report, Equality, Capacity and Disability in Commonwealth Laws. Nathan Kennedy, President of ALHR briefly explains that “the Report advocates for a new “Commonwealth decision-making model” that emphasises ‘supporters’ and ‘representatives’ for people with disabilities rather than substituted decision making”. … Read More >>
Date: 11 December 2014 Time: 5:30pm to 7:30pm Venue: Law Society of South Australia, Professional Development Centre, Level 10 Terrace Towers, 178 North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia. Together with the Law Society of South Australia and the Public Law and Policy Research Unit of the University of Adelaide, the SA Branch of the Australian Lawyers … Read More >>
The Ombudsman has completed a report about police use of terrorism-related preventative detention and covert search powers. https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/20058/Parts-2A-and-3-of-the-Terrorism-Police-Powers-Act-2002-review-period-2011-2013.pdf
UPDATE: The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has responded. The letter is accessible below. ORIGINAL POST: ALHR supports UNICEF’s call for an independent & systematic monitor for immigration detention.
In a statement issued today Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) urges the government to protect Australians with a Federal human rights charter in the wake of the High Court’s rejection of a challenge to the Queensland bikie laws. ALHR insists the High Court’s rejection of the challenge highlighted once again the dangerous lack of protection … Read More >>
ALHR has found the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill 2014 does not reflect an appropriate balance between the government’s domestic and international obligations to protect its citizens from terrorism and its international obligations to preserve and promote its citizens’ fundamental human rights. In a report to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security ALHR submits it is essential that Australian anti-terrorism laws … Read More >>
In a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 (attached below), ALHR has found aspects of the Bill incompatible with Australia’s international human rights obligations. ALHR recommends that the Bill not be passed. At a time when, more than ever, people require the protection … Read More >>
The ALHR supports the Human Rights Law Centre’s report (attached below) provided to the United Nations Committee Against Torture for the Committee’s fifth review of Australia during its 53rd session in November 2014. The report, titled ‘Torture and cruel treatment in Australia: Joint NGO report to United Nations Committee Against Torture’, examines Australia’s compliance with the Convention … Read More >>
The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law has launched a series of videos called ‘Have you got that right?’ The Castan Centre says the videos will answer important human rights questions “quickly, clearly and in a way that won’t put you to sleep”. Episodes one to three – ‘What are human rights?‘, ‘Is there a human right to marriage … Read More >>
The Hodgman Government’s Workplaces (Protection from Protesters) Bill 2014 (‘the Bill’) threatens to violate the human rights of all Tasmanians. ALHR is deeply concerned by the prospect of the Bill passing into law and urges the Tasmanian MLCs to reject the Bill as it is clearly inconsistent with International Human Rights law. The Bill’s proposed … Read More >>
FURTHER UPDATE Kim Wells MP, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, has responded outlining the changes made to legislation by the Victorian Government. The response is available below. UPDATE The Shadow Attorney General, Martin Pakula MP has responded to the joint letter. His response can be found below.
