Submissions – Prisoners’ Rights

Torture and Ill-Treatment: UN Committee against Torture review of Australia (12 Nov 2011)

Australia is scheduled to be reviewed by the UN Committee against Torture for its compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2012-13. This page contains a summary of the HRLC’s key activities and developments in relation to this review.   HRLC outlines further issues for Australia [...]

Australia has Legal Obligation to Implement Key Human Rights Reforms (1 April 2011)

The Australian Government has a legal obligation to implement key human rights reforms, according to a new submission from the Human Rights Law Centre [submission and annexure]. The submission to the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department considers each of 145 recommendations made to Australia by the international community during Australia’s Universal Periodic Review before the UN Human [...]

Reducing Offending and Strengthening Correctional Accountability for a Safer Victoria (22 March 2011)

Over the last decade, prison numbers and spending in Victoria have increased significantly, with little evidence that this is making our community safer or is a sound investment.  The Baillieu Government has the opportunity to shift from existing policies that are expensive, inefficient and ineffective and advance an evidence-based reform agenda that breaks the cycle [...]

Women’s Rights: Submission to UN CESCR on Draft General Comment on Sexual and Reproductive Health (11 Nov 2010)

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is drafting a general comment on the right to sexual and reproductive health and has invited organisations to submit written contributions on this issue.  On 8 November 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a Submission to UN CESCR on the Right to Sexual and Reproductive [...]

Torture and Ill-Treatment: Submission to UN Committee against Torture on Australia (24 August 2010)

On 24 August 2010, the Centre provided a Submission to the UN Committee against Torture setting out a number of issues which we consider the Committee should include in its List of Issues for Australia Prior to Reporting in respect of Australia’s compliance with the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or [...]

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 [...]

Police and Human Rights: Submission on Victoria’s Integrity and Anti-Corruption System (March 2010)

The excessive use of force by police or inhumane treatment of persons in police custody undermines the integrity of a State’s operations.  It also breaches the right to life and the right to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (ill-treatment) which are protected by ss 9 and 10 of the Victorian Charter. [...]

Parole Boards exempted from the Victorian Charter for a further four years (Dec 2009)

On 15 December 2009, the Victorian Government passed new Regulations that declare the Adult Parole Board, the Youth Residential Board, and the Youth Parole Board (the Parole Boards) not to be “public authorities” for the purposes of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (the Victorian Charter).  The effect of the Regulations is to allow [...]

ICCPR: NGO Reports for UN Human Rights Committee Review of Australia (March 2009)

The UN Human Rights Committee will review the state of human rights in Australia in March 2009 in New York. On 16 and 23 March, the Committee will be briefed by a coalition of leading Australian human rights organisations, including the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Amnesty International.  [...]

Prisoners’ Rights: Submission on draft Corrections Regulations 2009 (Vic) (Feb 2009)

In February 2009, the HRLRC made a Submission in response to a Corrections Regulations Exposure Draft 2009 (Vic) released by Corrections Victoria.  The current Corrections Regulations 1998 are due to sunset in May 2009.  The Proposed Regulations, together with a Regulatory Impact Statement, were released for public comment on 22 January 2009.  The submission addresses aspects [...]

Equality: Submission on draft Model Spent Convictions Bill (Jan 2009)

The Victorian Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General, recently announced that it was working on a national model Bill for a spent convictions scheme and invited the HRLRC to make a submission in relation to a draft Bill.  The purpose of a spent convictions scheme is broadly to limit the [...]

CAT: Implementation of Recommendations of UN Committee against Torture on Australia (Sept 2008)

On 16 May 2008, the Committee against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment issued its Concluding Observations on Australia.  The Concluding Observations included 27 recommendations concerning Australia’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The Australian Government has called for [...]

Prisoners’ Rights: Submission on Corrections Compensation Bill (Aug 2008)

The Corrections Amendment Bill 2008 (Vic) was introduced to Parliament in July 2008.  According to s 1 of the Bill, it ‘provides for the creation of prisoner compensation quarantine funds for the purpose of paying into those funds certain damages awarded to prisoners and to provide for the payments out of those funds of certain [...]

Voting Rights: Enfranchising People Experiencing Homelessness and Imprisonment (July 2008)

In July 2008, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, together with the PILCH Homeless Persons’ Legal Clinic and the Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders, made a Submission to the Parliament of Victoria Electoral Matters Committee Inquiry into Voter Participation and Informal Voting. The submission examines and discusses the following issues: the right to [...]

Prisoners’ Rights: Use of Force and the Interception and Censorship of Correspondence (Sept 2007)

In August 2007, the Brumby Government introduced legislation, the Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2007, which, among other things, provides for: the interception or censorship of correspondence sent by or to prisoners; and the use of firearms by prison officers when prisoners are attempting to escape. The Bill was accompanied by a Statement of Compatibility under [...]

Prisoners’ Rights: ‘High-Risk Offenders’ – Submission on Post-Sentence Supervision and Detention (Feb 2007)

On 13 February 2007, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a submission to the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council in response to their Discussion and Options Paper, entitled High-Risk Offenders: Post-Sentence Supervision and Detention. As the Paper identifies, a scheme of post-sentence supervision and detention may be incompatible with or infringe a range of human rights under [...]

Prisoners’ Rights: Prisoners and the Right to Vote (March 2006)

Attached is a submission by the by the Human Rights Law Resource Centre Ltd (‘HRLRC’) to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee Inquiry into the Electoral and Referendum Amendment (Electoral Integrity and Other Measures) Bill 2005. The HRLRC aims to bring the influence of international human rights norms and principles to bear on [...]