Submissions – Civil Justice

Access to Justice: Submission to Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee on Civil Dispute Resolution Bill 2010 (29 Oct 2010)

On 29 October 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre and the PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic made a joint submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee on the Civil Dispute Resolution Bill 2010.  The Bill: requires civil litigants to take genuine steps to resolve disputes before legal proceedings are instituted in the [...]

VCAT Practice Note on Fair Hearing Obligation (29 September 2010)

On 24 September 2010, the HRLRC and the PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic made a joint submission to the President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on the important role that the Tribunal plays in protecting the right to a fair hearing and facilitating access to justice in Victoria.  VCAT President, Justice Iain Ross AO, [...]

Universal Periodic Review: Joint NGO Report on Australia (12 July 2010)

Australia is to be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council through the Universal Periodic Review process in January 2011. A coalition of 68 NGOs - coordinated by the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, Kingsford Legal Centre and the National Association of Community Legal Centres - has submitted a 5 page Report to the UN Human Rights Council [...]

Access to Justice: Submission to Senate Inquiry into Access to Justice (March 2009)

On 5 February 2009, the Senate ordered the review of Australia’s judicial system, the role of judges and access to justice. The Human Rights Law Resource Centre’s Submission to the Access to Justice Inquiry analyses and discusses the Terms of Reference with particular reference to the right to a fair hearing, as enshrined in art 14 [...]

Civil Justice: Submission to Inquiry into Vexatious Litigants (April 2008)

In April 2008 the Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee released an issues paper calling for public submissions into its inquiry on vexatious litigants.  The terms of reference for this inquiry included an examination of the efficacy of current vexatious litigant legislation.  Since 1928 only 14 people have been declared vexatious litigants in Victoria. The Centre, together [...]

Fair Hearing: Submission to UN Human Rights Committee on General Comment No 32 on the Right to a Fair Hearing (Aug and Jan 2007)

On 21 August 2007, the UN Human Rights Committee released General Comment No 32 on the right to equality before courts and tribunals and to a fair trial under art 14 of the ICCPR. General Comment No 32 will be an important source of guidance on the interpretation and application of s 24 of the [...]

Civil Justice: Relevance of the Victorian Charter of Rights to Civil Justice (Dec 2006)

On 21 December 2006, the Centre made a submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission Civil Justice Review entitled, The Right to a Fair Hearing: The Relevance of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) to Civil Justice. The submission considers the impact that the Victorian Charter, specifically the right to a ‘fair [...]

Civil Justice: Submission to VLRC regarding Amicus Curiae (Nov 2006)

In November 2006, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre and Blake Dawson Waldron made a joint submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission Civil Justice Review, entitled ‘Why are Non-Parties Non-Starters?  A Call for Clearer Procedures and Guidelines for Amicus Curiae Applications in Victoria’. The submission sets out: the distinction between amici curiae, interveners and [...]