REFUGEE POLICY ‘Q&A’ EVENT Legally Defensible? A legal examination of refugee policies and associated implications

posted on February 4, 2016

An ALHR Melbourne event not to be missed! ALHR will host Anna Burke MP (Labor) and Sen. Sarah Hanson-Young (Greens) as they discuss their parties’ refugee policies and plans.  Joining them in discussion will be legal community stakeholders and experts in refugee law: Julian Burnside AO QC (Vic Bar),  David Manne (Refugee Legal)and Dr Savitri Taylor ​(La Trobe University). Together, this distinguished panel of speakers will answer … Read More >>

Government should still behave compassionately despite High Court Decision says ALHR, and calls for Charter of Rights

posted on February 3, 2016

ALHR media release following today’s High Court decision. “The fact that a majority of the High Court has found that Australia’s Constitution authorises the federal government to act in a manner which completely disregards the human rights of refugees arriving by sea again highlights the urgent need for an Australian Charter or Bill of Rights” … Read More >>

ASRC call for volunteers

posted on January 28, 2016

Calling all lawyers, barristers, migration agents & law students in Melbourne, we’ve a crisis on our hands. 30,000 people seeking asylum who came by boat in need of help 98% of legal funding cut by the Australian Gov. 80% with no one to help them. A new unfair legal system 24,000 in limbo since August … Read More >>

Day 3 (Part 3) – Benedict Coyne – Human Writes Human Rights Blog – Trip to Geneva for Australia’s Second Universal Periodic Review November 2015

posted on November 10, 2015

DAY 3 – Part 3 – The BIG Game – Australia in the Hot Seat Finally, the moment had arrived, Australia at the “World Cup of Human Rights”. I entered the most courteous global Colosseum  and assumed my position back in the press gallery after taking another requisite selfie with Jose in the main chamber … Read More >>

Mandatory Detention of Children is Cruel and Immoral

posted on October 30, 2015

Minoli Perera a Master of Laws student at La Trobe University writes: The Australian government’s policy of mandatory detention for boat-arriving asylum seekers has been characterised by commentators as a human rights violation. Under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) there is no time limit on detention and as a consequence asylum seekers are often detained for … 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 >>

ALHR Fronts Senate Inquiry

posted on April 17, 2015

On 16 April 2015, ALHR appeared before the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee to express its objection to the Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2015. The Chair of the ALHR Refugee Subcommittee, Ms Claire Hammerton, together with The Hon. Stephen Charles QC and representatives from the Law Reform … Read More >>

Australia Slides Backwards on Human Rights as Abbott Rejects United Nations Torture Findings

posted on March 13, 2015

The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez, has delivered a report finding that Australia is violating the UN Convention Against Torture by detaining children in immigration detention, and holding asylum seekers in dangerous and violent conditions in offshore processing centres. Following comments that Australians were “sick of being lectured to by the United Nations”, … Read More >>

Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014

posted on October 19, 2014

UPDATE The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee has tabled its report recommending against the passage of the Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014. The Committee concluded: 2.54 The committee notes that passage of the Bill would legislate a form of discrimination in that same-sex couples able to marry overseas would be afforded a different set … Read More >>

Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014

posted on October 17, 2014

UPDATE The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security has today tabled its Advisory Report on the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014. A copy of the report can be found by following the below link: http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Intelligence_and_Security/Counter-Terrorism_Legislation_Amendment_Foreign_Fighters_Bill_2014/Report1 ORIGINAL POST ‘We must be careful’, says ALHR President Nathan Kennedy, ‘that in opposing the criminality of terrorism … Read More >>

Media Release: Unwilling to Comply, Government Replaces International Law With Its Own Interpretation

posted on September 30, 2014

  Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has introduced two new Bills to Parliament that propose to breach Australia’s obligations under international law. The Migration and Maritime Powers Legislation Amendment (Resolving the Asylum Legacy Caseload) Bill 2014 will re-introduce Temporary Protection Visas and redefine established principles of international law to suit the agenda of the Liberal-National Coalition Government. … Read More >>