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National Human Rights Consultation
The Australian Government has tasked the Australian Public Service Commission to revise the Australian Public Service Values (APS Values) to a ‘smaller set of core values that are meaningful, memorable and effective in driving change’. Among other considerations, this revision should seek to ‘affirm the importance of including consideration of human rights issues in policy [...]
On 2 April 2009, the UN Human Rights Committee adopted Concluding Observations in respect of Australia’s compliance with its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
On 6 July 2010, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a Follow-Up Submission on Implementation of the Human Rights Committee’s Concluding Observations on Australia. The submission updates [...]
On 2 June 2010, the Attorney-General introduced the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010 and the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2010 in the House of Representatives. The Bills comprise key elements of the Government’s new ‘Human Rights Framework’ and have been referred by the Senate to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation [...]
On 2 June 2010, the Attorney-General introduced the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010, a key element of the Government’s new ‘Human Rights Framework’, in the House of Representatives.
The Bill establishes a Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, to be comprised of five members of the House of Representatives and five Senators, with two primary [...]
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) [...]
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 [...]
The legal obligation to respect, protect and fulfil human rights applies to all arms of government – legislative, executive and judicial – and directly engages the parliament.
Notwithstanding Australia’s international legal obligations, however, the Commonwealth has not established formal domestic mechanisms to ensure comprehensive parliamentary scrutiny of human rights.
On 5 March 2010, therefore, the Centre made [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
About the National Human Rights Consultation
Why Australia Needs a Human Rights Act
Myths and Misperceptions about a Human Rights Act
1. About the National Human Rights Consultation
The National Human Rights Consultation announced by the Attorney-General on 10 December 2008 is an historic opportunity for individuals and communities throughout Australia to improve our democracy. The Human Rights Law Resource [...]
Make a written submission
Attend a workshop or roundtable
HRLRC Workshops
Consultation Committee Roundtables
Join the Australian Human Rights Group
Join the campaign email list
Make a donation to the Human Rights Law Resource Centre
1. Make a written submission
Written submissions to the National Human Rights Consultation are due by 15 June 2009 and should address one or all [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
“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 [...]
Sir Gerard Brennan, ‘The Constitution, Good Government and Human Rights’, Paper delivered at Human Rights Law Resource Centre Seminar, Melbourne, 12 March 2008.
On 1 August 2007, the Human Rights Law Resource Centre made a submission, entitled Fostering a Human Rights Culture, to the Consultation Committee for the Proposed Western Australian Human Rights Act.
The submission was prepared with substantial input from Allens Arthur Robinson, one of Australia’s leading commercial law firms.
On 20 December 2007, the Consultation Committee released [...]
In this paper, ‘What Difference can a Human Rights Charter Make?’, delivered to a joint seminar of the Human Rights Law Resource Centre and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission on 15 August 2007, Lord Robert Walker of the UK House of Lords reflects on his experience ‘judging’ human rights under the UK Human [...]
The HRLRC has made submissions to inquiries that have been conducted by both the Tasmanian and Western Australian governments into the need for comprehensive human rights legislation in those states:
WA Human Rights Act Inquiry (Dec and Aug 2007)
A Charter of Rights for Tasmania (Nov 2006)
On 29 November 2006, the HRLRC, with the substantial pro bono assistance of Allens Arthur Robinson, made a submission to the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute inquiry into the need for a Charter of Rights in Tasmania.
On 12 October 2007, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute published its Report on A Charter of Rights for Tasmania.
The Report, [...]
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