Torture and cruel treatment: 77 organisations slam Australia’s declining standards

Seventy seven organisations have united to warn that Australia’s standards are sliding when it comes to the prevention of torture and cruel treatment.

Read More
Extraordinary changes to counter-terrorism laws encroach on fundamental human rights

The most significant changes to Australia’s counter-terrorism laws in over a decade proposed under the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014 are extraordinary in nature and encroach on fundamental human rights, the Human Rights Law Centre has said in a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on its review of the Bill.

Read More
Joint Statement: Berrimah Prison is not good enough for Territory’s most vulnerable kids

The HRLC is one of twelve organisations to sign a joint statement calling on the Northern Territory Government to rethink their proposal to lock up young people in a run-down jail, deemed unfit for adults. The Northern Territory is one of the only jurisdictions in Australia to have increasing youth detention rates. Almost all of the young people in detention in the Northern Territory are Aboriginal, and many come from disadvantaged backgrounds including being exposed to drug and alcohol misuse, violence, and neglect.

Read More
MichelleBennett
Top UN human rights body condemns violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity

The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a landmark resolution on combating violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The HRLC’s Directory of Advocacy, Anna Brown, was present in Geneva and worked together with advocates on the passage of resolution.

Read More
It's time: UN to debate landmark resolution to protect sexual minorities

The United Nations Human Rights Council is set to vote on an historic resolution tackling violence and discrimination against sexual minorities. The HRLC's Directory of Advocacy, Anna Brown, is present in Geneva and delivered a statement to the Council calling on the international community to support a resolution condemning violence and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Read More
Complaint of serious human rights abuses lodged against G4S, Australia’s former security contractor on Manus

A formal OECD complaint has been lodged against multinational security contractor G4S for failing to meet international standards and committing serious human rights violations in relation to conditions and abuse of asylum seekers detained at the Manus Regional Processing Centre.

Read More
NGOs speak out about the need for adequate compensation and investigation of police misconduct

The Human Rights Law Centre has joined with 12 other NGOs to urgently call for greater accountability for police misconduct in Victoria in the wake of a UN Human Rights Committee finding in favour of Ms Corinna Horvath who was brutally assaulted by police in 1996 and is yet to receive adequate compensation for her injuries.

Read More
Urgent UN intervention sought on missing Sri Lankan asylum seekers

The HRLC last night sent a request for urgent action to the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The request relates to two groups of Sri Lankan asylum seekers, including at least 37 children, who were reportedly travelling to Australia to claim protection but have not been heard from for four days after reportedly being intercepted by Australian authorities.

Read More
Serious concerns raised over Australia’s human rights record at UN in lead up to next year's review

The HRLC’s Director of Advocacy and Strategic Litigation, Anna Brown, said Australia was failing to live up to a number of the promises it made three years ago when its human rights record came under scrutiny during its regular review by its peers at the UN – a process known as the Universal Periodic Review.

Read More
Fundraising Auction 2014

It’s that time of year again when we gather an eclectic collection of goods, services and experiences for our Fundraising Auctions to be held at the Annual Human Rights Dinners that we host with Justice Connect – this year in Melbourne on 13 June and in Sydney on 20 June.

Read More
MichelleBennettOther
Introducing Ruth Barson

The HRLC is delighted to announce the appointment of Ruth Barson as a Senior Lawyer. Ruth has joined us from the Centre for Innovative Justice, and prior to that has worked at Victoria Legal Aid as well as various Aboriginal legal services in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Read More
Julie Bishop’s unprincipled position on Sri Lanka war crimes investigation puts Australia at odds with allies

In an extremely unprincipled foreign policy decisions, Australia’s Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, has aligned Australia with countries known for their obstructionist approach at the UN with her comments expressing disappointment with the UN Human Rights Council’s decision to initiate an independent investigations into war crimes and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

Read More
Australian legal experts call for United Nations to act on Sri Lanka

The United Nations Human Rights Council should pass resolution 25/1 to establish an international investigation into alleged war crimes committed in the final months of the Sri Lankan civil war, according to a statement jointly delivered to the UN in Geneva today by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the Human Rights Law Centre.

Read More
Foreign Minister to arrive in Geneva as Australia is urged to publicly support a UN inquiry into Sri Lankan war crimes and crimes against humanity

Australia has one last opportunity this week to publicly support a US-led initiative at the United Nations to end impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the final phases of Sri Lanka’s civil war in 2009.

Read More
News in brief - Human rights in the headlines

A new report highlights various ways in which Australia's co-operation with Sri Lanka’s military puts asylum seekers at risk. The report includes a DFAT cable obtained under Freedom of Information laws that reveals the Australia Federal Police declined to interview a man claiming to have been severely tortured after being sent back to Sri Lanka by Australia.

Read More
Council can act on fertility control clinic protest without new move on laws

The Human Rights Law Centre today rejected comments by Lord Mayor Robert Doyle who claimed the Melbourne City Council felt “impotent” to act against anti-abortion protestors who for decades have beset the East Melbourne Fertility Control Clinic. Cr Doyle welcomed new laws allowing police to move on protesters and said they would help remove the protestors from the front of the clinic.

Read More
High Commissioner for Human Rights puts Australia’s asylum seeker policies in UN’s sights

Australia must review its offshore processing arrangements with PNG and Nauru to ensure the basic rights of asylum seekers are being respected, says the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. Ms Pillay has released the opening statement on her 2013 Annual Report, discussing issues of worldwide human rights concern.

Read More
States must address age and disability when combatting gender discrimination under CEDAW

R. P. B. v the Philippines, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, Views: Communication No 34/2011, 57th sess, UN Doc CEDAW/C/57/D/34/2011 (23 May 2011)

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has found that the Philippines breached the rights of a mute and hearing impaired girl to non-discrimination under the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in the investigation and trial of her alleged rape. The Philippines had, in investigating the crime and in the trial, failed to provide a free interpreter and had used stereotypes and gender-based myths, disregarding the victim’s specific situation as a girl who is both mute and hearing impaired. The Committee noted that the obligations of the State include the obligation to consider the specific situation of the complainant, being her age and disability.

Read More
Inquiry into government access to internet and phone data announced

On 12 December the Senate announced an inquiry into the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979. The Act, among other things, allows for the interception and access of telecommunications data by Government agencies in certain circumstances. In some cases this means access by local governments and agencies to your personal data without a warrant, or indeed any judicial oversight

Read More
MichelleBennettPrivacy
Children given right to bring complaints before UN Committee

A new complaints mechanism under the UN Convention on Rights of Child is about to take effect. On 14 January 2014, Costa Rica became the tenth state to ratify the Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, meaning that three months’ time, on 14 April 2014, the complaints mechanism will come into force.

Read More
Rising to the Challenge: Australia’s contribution to the 12th Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court

From 20-28 November 2013, Australia joined 121 other States Parties, members of civil society and other stakeholders in The Hague for the 12th annual Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). As the governing and legislative body of the ICC, the ASP discusses and decides on issues central to the Court's operations. The main topics of debate set for the 12th session were cooperation and the impact of the Rome Statute system on victims; however, at the request of the African Union, a special segment was held on the indictment of sitting heads of State and government and its consequences for peace, stability, and reconciliation.

Read More
New Victorian move-on powers unreasonably limit free speech and protest rights

Proposed new ‘move-on’ powers for police in Victoria will unreasonably limit human rights and are susceptible to misuse. The Human Rights Law Centre’s Executive Director, Hugh de Kretser, said protest rights and free speech are particularly threatened, but the proposed laws may also have an impact on young people and the homeless.

Read More