High Court releases Judgment in marriage equality postal survey challenge

The Australian High Court has today released its Reasons for Judgment in the Human Rights Law Centre’s challenge against the postal survey on marriage equality. 

Anna Brown, Director of Legal Advocacy at the Human Rights Law Centre, representing Australian Marriage Equality and Senator Janet Rice, said it was important to challenge the harmful postal vote for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people in Australia.

“All Australians should have the same opportunities for love, commitment and happiness. All Australians should be able to marry the person they love. This survey is completely unnecessary and it is already proving divisive and harmful, LGBTI people didn’t ask for this, but now all our efforts are going into ensuring a resounding 'Yes' vote for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex community, their friends and their families,” said Ms Brown.

“With the postal vote survey proceeding right now, we have no choice but to campaign hard for a strong ‘yes’ vote. Vote ‘yes’ for dignity, vote ‘yes’ for love. It’s time to move forward, Australians are ready for marriage equality and the survey is an opportunity for all Australians to vote for their friends and family and our national values of fairness and equality,” said Ms Brown.

The Human Rights Law Centre thanks our barrister team Katherine Richardson SC, James Emmett, Gerald Ng and Surya Palaniappan for their exceptional work, conducted on a pro bono basis, on this case. 

Download the High Court Judgment here.

An explainer of the HRLC challenge can be found here.

For further information contact:

Michelle Bennett, Director of Communications, Human Rights Law Centre: 0419 100 519

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