Here is a selection of this week’s top Australian human rights news stories:
- OPI report reveals concerns that police cells breach international human rights standards: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/24/2935812.htm and http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/human-rights-fall-through-cracks-in-police-cells-20100624-z3ij.html
- Time running out for sheikh facing deportation, despite request by the UN to postpone the order: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/time-running-out-for-sheikh-told-to-leave-20100619-ynvs.html
- Just 0.2 per cent of refugees listed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2009 protected in Australia, according to UN report: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/australia-slow-to-protect-refugees-20100623-yyrh.html
- Federal Government in a position to do more for the relatively few asylum seekers arriving in Australia: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2935025.htm
- Refugee groups urge new PM Julia Gillard to resist harsher asylum seeker policies: http://www.smh.com.au/national/new-leader-urged-not-to-go-for-harsher-laws-20100624-z3pt.html
- Former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser calls on political leaders to stop playing politics with refugees in the interests of building a decent and more compassionate Australia: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/stop-playing-politics-with-refugees-says-former-prime-minister-malcom-fraser/story-e6frf7l6-1225882346686
- Federal parliamentary inquiry calls for overhaul of the rules that block people from moving to Australia because they have disabilities: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/22/2934001.htm
- Plans to develop Charter of Rights in Tasmania: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/22/2934139.htm
- New South Wales MPs will be allowed a conscience vote on the issue of same-sex adoption: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/25/2936609.htm
- Many women with mental illness find it impossible to access support, according to Women’s Centre for Health Matters: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/06/22/2933408.htm
- Men and women to be treated equally under draft laws to change Australia’s sex discrimination framework: http://www.theage.com.au/national/gender-law-changes-20100624-z3iv.html
- Northern Territory Intervention continues to discriminate, despite reintroduction of the Racial Discrimination Act: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/laws-dont-fully-reinstate-rda-amnesty-20100622-yvmb.html
