Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been asked to revoke his statement, made during his recent visit to Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth summit, that suggested that the use of torture can be justified in “difficult circumstances”. In a joint letter, the Human Rights Law Centre, Human Rights Watch, the Castan Centre for Human Rights, … Read More >>
ALHR considers that the Prime Minister’s response to allegations of torture in Sri Lanka represents an alarming shift in Australia’s approach to international law. Torture is unconditionally banned under international law. This has always been the consensus: in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, and in subsequent treaties on Civil and Political Rights and on … Read More >>
ALHR issued a press release strongly condemning Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s recent response to allegations of torture in Sri Lanka.
Queenslanders should be extremely concerned about a number of laws that were passed by the Newman government last week. The amendments radically extend the power of executive government at the expense of the courts, undermine human rights principles such as equality before the law and the freedoms of association and expression and further politicise crime … Read More >>
ALHR made a submission to Queensland Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee. ALHR raised concerns about inconsistencies with human rights principles, and potential to foster anti-Islamic prejudice in the broader Queensland community.
Thanks to everyone who attend ALHR’s fundraiser for the Asylum Seekers’ Centre of NSW on 17 October. More than 120 people attended and we raised more than $3700 for the Asylum Seekers’ Centre. The panellists Prof Mary Crock (University of Sydney), Graham Thom (board member of Asylum Seekers’ Centre) and Natalie Young (RACS) spoke eloquently … Read More >>
ALHR made a submission to Queensland Parliament’s Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee, regarding the proposed bill. ALHR considers that powers proposed under relevant sections of the G20 (Safety and Security) Bill 2013 are already appropriately dealt with under the current law which provides the powers for police and ?authorised persons? to carry out the … Read More >>
ALHR wrote to several NSW MPs with concerns about the potential implications which could arise from the Crimes Amendment (Destruction of Child in Utero – Zoe’s Law) Bill 2011 which is being considered by the NSW Parliament. ALHR urges NSW Parliamentarians to consider any such law changes carefully, to ensure they do not subject women … Read More >>
ALHR wrote to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor regarding the review of Australia?s terrorism financing legislation and the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004. ALHR requests the INSLM’s report to the Prime Minister: (a) reinforce the central importance of human rights in designing and implementing measures to counter terrorism; (b) explain … Read More >>
ALHR, with other lawyers, have been quoted in a Lawyers Weekly article “Lawyers question legality of PNG asylum plan”. Lawyers’ Weekly interviewed ALHR’s President in writing their article. The article’s concluding paragraphs are extracted below. Australia has promised to ‘provide support, through a service provider, to any refugees who are resettled in PNG’, but Southalan … Read More >>
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) expressed grave concern at the announcement by the Prime Minister that asylum seekers and refugees would be sent to Papua New Guinea
ALHR wrote to the Prime Minister, raising several concerns about the current procedures for assessing the protection needs of people who travel to Australia by boat.
