Australia is failing to provide a safe and free environment for civil society and to ensure that people are free to speak out and peacefully protest on issues that they care about, said a UN Human Rights expert today. Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, has been in Australia for a two-week official visit, meeting with government, MPs and civil society organisations.
Read More- Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Rights
- Child Rights
- Climate & Environmental Justice
- Corporate Accountability
- COVID-19
- Democratic Freedoms
- Discrimination & Equality
- Human Rights Act
- Human Rights Act Campaign
- Human Rights Charters
- Human Rights Law & Institutions
- LGBTI Rights
- Migration Justice
- Prisoner Rights
- Reproductive Rights
- Whistleblower Project
- Whistleblowers
As the State Coroner, Mary Jerram, begins her inquest into the death of the Brazilian student Roberto Curti, we need to ask ourselves if the investigation into his death was flawed from the outset.
Read More
Reform of the regulation, training and monitoring of police use of force is necessary to enhance community safety and ensure Victoria Police comply with human rights.
Victoria Police use force, on average, every 2.5 hours. Almost three quarters of these incidents involve the use of capsicum spray. There have been at least 12 people shot dead by Victoria Police in the last decade, while numerous others have died in police custody.
Read the background research paper here [PDF]
Read More
The Parliamentary Joint Committee of Human Rights inquiry has recommended the Albanese Government should legislate an Australian Human Rights Act. Read the Human Rights Law Centre’s explainer of of the final report here.
Read More
It is neither fair nor just to continue caging children in youth prisons.
Read More
What don’t we know because potential whistleblowers are too scared to raise concerns? What scandals remain hidden?
Read More
The Human Rights Law Centre stands in solidarity with the refugee activists who have maintained a constant protest outside government and ministerial offices in Melbourne since 14 July 2024.
Read More
Regrettably, in August, the High Court of Australia declined to hear an appeal by tax office whistleblower Richard Boyle.
Boyle will now face trial - and potential jail time - after blowing the whistle on unethical debt recovery practices at the Australian Taxation Office.
Read More
The Human Rights Law Centre welcomes the Albanese Government’s introduction of groundbreaking reforms to reduce widespread migrant worker exploitation.
Read More
With the rising influence of fossil fuel industries over Australian politics, the Human Rights Law Centre has produced the Climate and Environmental Whistleblowing Information Guide, a practical resource to support any person to raise concerns about climate and environmental wrongdoing in Australia.
Read More
There is one crucial resource this country hasn’t yet fully appreciated and nurtured in pursuit of a safer climate: the whistleblower.
Read More
Our right to protest is under threat. That’s why we are launching our new report Protest in Peril.
Read More
The Protest in Peril report analyses and compiles every single bill across Australia over the last two decades which has impacted upon the right to protest, and has found the right to protest is being steadily eroded in Australia.
Read More
Sweeping, unnecessary and disproportionate secrecy laws are bad for democracy. Not only do they prevent the public having a proper understanding of what is done in their name, but they allow wrongdoing to go unchecked.
Refugees like me have already been through so much. All we ever wanted was freedom.
Read More
The South Australian Court of Appeal rejected an appeal brought by tax office whistleblower Richard Boyle. Richard had spoken up about unethical debt recovery practices at the tax office. He has since been vindicated by several independent reviews. The outcome lays bare how our weak laws are failing whistleblowers. There is no public interest in prosecuting people speaking out against injustice and wrongdoing.
Read More
For too long, Australia’s human rights laws have not been fit-for-purpose. For the first time since 2010, there are signs of change.
Read More