Federal Attorney-General Nicola Roxon has responded to the joint letter of 21 December 2011 urging the Australian Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). In her response, Attorney-General Roxon assured the parties that the Australian Government was working towards ratification, and … Read More >>
One of our members, Nathan Kennedy, recently made a presentation on behalf of ALHR on the above topic at a two-day seminar for Muslim religious workers and leaders, ‘Maintaining a Resilient Community’. The seminar was organised in response to perceptions among the Muslim community that legislation and programs to counter violent extremism unfairly target their … Read More >>
The access and use of information in the resources sector raised many legal issues and complexities. The Freedom of Information Act and international human rights laws specify standards and procedures for obtaining information while also protecting commercial and personal interests. Resources companies are facing increasing demands, under Australian and international standards, to provide information about … Read More >>
ALHR welcomed the opportunity contribute to the next stage of consultation in the Government’s National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP), making a detailed submission on the Exposure Draft
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) today welcomed the Federal Government’s action in tabling a National Interest analysis which records its decision to ratify the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). ALHR President Stephen Keim SC applauded the move as ‘a critical … Read More >>
ALHR yesterday made a submission supporting a Bill that proposes to remove current provisions of the Migration Act which provide for minimum penalties for persons found guilty of aggravated people smuggling offences. The minimum penalties range from 5 to 8 years imprisonment. The minimum mandatory sentencing regime has been widely criticised for its inhumane and … Read More >>
The President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (‘ALHR’), Stephen Keim, today called upon the Northern Territory government to act to ensure that a properly resourced investigation unit be established that is independent of the police force and capable of responding quickly and proactively when an incident occurs. ‘One acceptable model’, said Mr. Keim, ‘would … Read More >>
In this substantial submission to the Attorney-General’s project to consolidate Commonwealth anti-discrimination law, ALHR made 34 recommendations on the legislative regime to protect Australians from discrimination.
ALHR welcomed the opportunity to make a submission on the Crimes Amendment (Fairness for Minors) Bill 2011, which amends certain evidentiary procedures in the Migration Act that have an impact on minors implicated in people smuggling offences. Specifically, the Bill defines timeframes and establishes evidentiary procedures for the age determination and prosecution of non-citizens who … Read More >>
We, the undersigned organisations, are writing to urge the Australian Government to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
The Migrant Workers Convention is one of the nine core United Nations human rights treaties. It has been ratified by 45 countries. On this 21st anniversary of the signing of this Convention and eight years after it entered into force, we join in the civil society appeal to Australia to ratify the Convention and to … Read More >>
74 prominent citizens have called on Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and new Attorney-General Nicola Roxon to take urgent steps to safeguard the human rights of WikiLeaks’s founder Julian Assange. The group comprises some of Australia’s most eminent public figures, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, as well as international figures such as Noam Chomsky, David … Read More >>
