Focus Areas - National Human Rights Consultation

Setting the Human Rights Agenda

Policy Brief on Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Australia’s Role and Responsibilities (28 June 2010)
As the Federal Government prepares its response to the report of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, ‘Human Rights and the Asia-Pacific: Opportunities and Challenges’, this policy brief on ‘Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific: Australia’s Role and Responsibilities’ [...]

‘Human Rights at the Cross-Roads’ – Speeches to 2010 Human Rights Dinner (14 May 2010)

The 2010 Human Rights Dinner, presented jointly by the Human Rights Law Resource Centre and the Public Interest Law Clearing House, was held on 14 May 2010 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Dinner was addressed by Louise Arbour (President and CEO, International Crisis Group and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights) [...]

New Human Rights Framework a Step in the Right Direction, but a Human Rights Act Deferred is Human Rights Denied (22 April 2010)

Human rights education and parliamentary engagement with human rights will be enhanced under a new “Human Rights Framework” for Australia, announced by the Attorney-General on 21 April 2010 in response to the recommendations of the National Human Rights Consultation.
However, the Rudd Government’s failure to commit to a comprehensive, national Human Rights Act — a key recommendation of [...]

Major Report on ‘Developing a Bill of Rights’ (March 2010)

The UK Equality and Human Rights Commission has just released a major research report on ‘Developing a Bill of Rights for the UK’. 
The report aims to ‘identify and explore best practice processes for developing a new Bill of Rights for the UK’.  The report analyses evidence from related domestic and international experiences (including the ACT, [...]

A Human Rights Act to Unite Us (Feb 2010)

It is almost two years since the Rudd Government issued its historic Apology to the Stolen Generations.  Polling immediately prior to the Apology indicated that it remained a contentious and potentially divisive issue, with 55 per cent of Australians supporting the Government’s decision to say sorry and 36 per cent opposed.  Polling conducted in the [...]

ESC Rights: Legal Opinion on Justiciability of ESC Rights in an Australian Human Rights Act (Dec 2009)

On 8 October 2009 the National Human Rights Consultation Committee recommended that Australia enact a Human Rights Act.  However, although the Consultation clearly demonstrated the right to adequate housing, health care and education are the ‘rights that matter most’ to Australians, the Committee further recommended that, if an Australian Human Rights Act enshrines social and [...]

ACT NOW! A Human Rights Act for Australia

The landmark Report of the National Human Rights Consultation, released by the Federal Government on 8 October 2009, recommends that Australia enact a comprehensive national Human Rights Act. 
The report also recommends a range of other measures to protect human rights in Australia, including strengthening the Australian Human Rights Commission, enhancing human rights education, improving parliamentary scrutiny of human rights, [...]

National Human Rights Consultation: Submission on a Human Rights Act for All Australians (May 2009)

On 15 May 2009, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a submission to the National Human Rights Consultation entitled, A Human Rights Act for All Australians [PDF] [Word].  The submission calls for the enactment of a comprehensive Human Rights Act to enhance our democracy and protect fundamental values such as freedom, respect, dignity and [...]

National Human Rights Consultation: Supplementary Submission on Religious Freedoms and a Human Rights Act (June 2009)

On 3 June 2009, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a supplementary submission to the National Human Rights Consultation.
The submission is in the form of a Memorandum of Advice from Brian Walters SC and Alastair Pound of Counsel commissioned by the Centre in relation to the relationship between a national Human Rights Act and a [...]

Key Submissions to the National Human Rights Consultation (June 2009)

Over the last month, there have been a number of high quality submissions to the National Human Rights Consultation calling for the enactment of a comprehensive Human Rights Act. 
These submissions include:

Amnesty International Australia;
Anglican Church of Australia, General Synod;
;Australian Centre for Human Rights Education at RMIT;
Australian Human Rights Commission at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/legal/submissions/2009/200906_NHRC.html;
Australian Human Rights Group at http://www.humanrightsact.com.au/ahrg/;
Australian [...]

National Human Rights Consultation: Submission on Measures to Promote Human Rights (April 2009)

On 24 April 2009, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a submission to the National Human Rights Consultation entitled Engage, Educate, Empower: Measures to Promote and Protect Human Rights [PDF] [Word].
The Engage, Educate, Empower submission considers a range of measures to strengthen the protection and promotion of human rights in Australia and responds primarily to the [...]

ICCPR: UN Human Rights Committee releases Concluding Observations on Australia (April 2009)

The UN Human Rights Committee has released its Concluding Observations following a review of Australia’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.  The Committee’s recommendations on Australia are the first since 2000 and an important test for the Rudd Government in light of its Security Council bid and its stated commitment to [...]

National Human Rights Consultation – Materials and Resources

Engaging in the Debate Report
Case Studies: How a Human Rights Act can promote dignity and address disadvantage
Fact sheets

Right-specific fact sheets
Thematic fact sheets

Other Resources

Useful Reports
Speeches

1.  Engaging in the Debate Report
The Human Rights Law Resource Centre, in conjunction with leading Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, has produced a comprehensive report to enable [...]

Case Studies: How a Human Rights Act can Promote Dignity and Address Disadvantage

Human rights belong to everyone.  The case studies on this page show that human rights are not just for lawyers, celebrities and criminals; they are an important tool that can help create a more just society where everyone receives a fair go.  The case studies illustrate how human rights laws can be used to encourage [...]

National Human Rights Consultation – Workshops and Submission Toolkits

Submission Toolkit
Thematic Workshops

Community Legal Centres
Mental Health
People with Disability
Women
Aboriginal peoples
Migrants
Older Persons
Environmental organisations

HRLRC’s Submission Toolkit

Fact Sheet – About the National Human Rights Consultation
Suggested template submissions for organisations and individuals
Thematic fact sheets are on the Materials and Resources page
Right-specific fact sheets are available on the Materials and Resources page

HRLRC’s Thematic Workshops
The HRLRC is conducting a number of workshops that [...]

National Human Rights Consultation: Engaging in the Debate

The Human Rights Law Resource Centre, in conjunction with leading Australian law firm Allens Arthur Robinson, has produced a comprehensive report to enable individuals and organisations to participate in the National Human Rights Consultation in an informed and evidence-based way.  The report is not intended to be a position paper or submission, but rather to [...]

Lord Bingham – ‘Dignity, Fairness and Good Government: The Role of a Human Rights Act’, Speech by Senior Law Lord to Human Rights Law Resource Centre (9 December 2008)

“It would clearly test to destruction the tolerance of the ordinary red-blooded Australian to have a Pom getting off the plane from London and telling them how to run their country.  So I shall not presume to say how the current human rights debate in this country should be resolved.  But perhaps I may contribute [...]