Below is a sample of links to further information about international human rights law, including treaties, cases, commentary and jurisprudence.
For further guidance, see the Human Rights Research Guide prepared by John Tobin of the University of Melbourne Law School.
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights – www.ohchr.org
The OHCHR contains useful information about, and full text links to, international human rights law and jurisprudence, the various UN treaty monitoring bodies, and a significant library of reports and publications.
Interights – www.interights.org
INTERIGHTS aims to enforce human rights through law; to strengthen human rights jurisprudence and mechanisms through the use of international and comparative law; and to empower legal partners and promote their effective use of law to protect human rights. The website includes a searchable database of international and Commonwealth human rights law and jurisprudence.
Bayefsky.com – www.bayefsky.com
Bayefsky.com includes a searchable database of international human rights jurisprudence, including by state, by category, by treaty, by treaty article, by theme or subect and by key word.
University of Minnesota Human Rights Library – www1.umn.edu/humanrts/
The University of Minnesota Human Rights Library houses one of the largest collections of more than twenty-five thousand core human rights documents, including several hundred human rights treaties and other primary international human rights instruments. The site also provides access to more than four thousands links and a unique search device for multiple human rights sites.
Human Rights Tools for Human Rights Professionals - www.humanrightstools.org
This site offers four services:
- A Human Rights Library, including access to online databases, caselaw, jurisprudence, human rights instruments, advocacy tools and thematic resources;
- Key resources for country analysis;
- Daily updated human rights headlines; and
- Access to a Human Rights Newsletter.
Human Rights Education Associates – www.hrea.org
Human Rights Education Associates (’HREA’) is an international non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning, the training of activists and professionals, the development of educational materials and programming, and community-building through on-line technologies.
American Society of International Law Guide to Electronic Resources for Human Rights Law – http://www.asil.org/resource/humrts1.htm
This Guide contains links to electronic sources on human rights law. The Guide also includes general tips for doing research as well as for locating necessary documents and materials. The scope of the Guide encompasses both primary and secondary sources (including documents from non-governmental organizations).
American Society of International Law Guide to Research on Treaties – http://www.asil.org/resource/treaty1.htm
Treaties are among the primary sources of international law. This Guide gives guidance on how to go about treaty research, with a particular emphasis on electronic resources.
International Human Rights Research: Guide to Selected Sources
The purpose of this Research Guide is simply to point you in the direction of some research guides, reference works, major primary sources, treatises, and websites that may assist you in finding what you need for a particular purpose.
World Legal Information Institute – www.wordlii.org
The World Legal Information Institute contains legislation and cases from 86 countries and 21 international databases.
Kate Eastman’s webpage – http://www.kateeastman.com/humanrights/humanrights.htm
Kate Eastman is a NSW human rights barrister. Her webpage contains useful information about international human rights law in Australia, including summaries or, and hyperlinks to, individual communications to the HRC, CAT and CERD and periodic reports submitted by Australia.
Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission – http://www.humanrights.gov.au/human_rights/index.html
HREOC is Australia’s national human rights institution. Its functions under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act include promoting human rights in Australia.
Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria – http://www.equalopportunitycommission.vic.gov.au/index.asp
The Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria is an independent statutory authority created under the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic) to administer two of Victoria’s key pieces of human rights legislation, the Equal Opportunity Act and the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic). The EOCV will also have monitoring and reporting functions under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.
Australian Human Rights Centre – http://www.ahrcentre.org/
The Australian Human Rights Centre is an inter-disciplinary research and teaching institute based in the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales. The AHRC aims to increase public awareness about human rights procedures, standards and issues within Australia and the international community. The Centre undertakes research projects on contemporary human rights issues and provides accessible information on developments within the field.
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights – http://www.alhr.asn.au/
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights (ALHR) is a network of Australian lawyers active in practising and promoting awareness of international human rights standards in Australia.
Castan Centre for Human Rights – http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/
The Castan Centre was established to meet the need for, and interest in, the study of human rights law, globally, regionally and in Australia. It seeks to bring together the work of national and international human rights scholars, practitioners and advocates from a wide range of disciplines in order to promote and protect human rights. The Centre’s key activities are research, teaching, public education (lectures, seminars, conferences, parliamentary submissions, internships and media presentations), applied research, advice work and consultancies.
Alternative Law Journal – www.altlj.org
The Alternative Law Journal is a quarterly refereed law journal which focuses on social justice, human rights, access to justice, progressive law reform and legal education. The Journal has a diverse readership among legal practitioners, judges, policy makers, law students and legal studies students.
Centre for Civil and Political Rights - www.ccprcentre.org/
The vision of the CCPR Centre is the full respect worldwide of all the human rights proclaimed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by 163 States. The Human Rights Committee is the UN body in charge of monitoring the implementation of the rights protected by the ICCPR. NGOs have a critical role to play in enhancing the effectiveness of the Human Rights Committee and the implementation of its recommendations. The CCPR Centre works to promote the participation of NGOs in the work of the Human Rights Committee, raising awareness, strengthening NGOs’ capacities, and providing technical and legal support at all stages of the reporting process, including the follow-up of the recommendations of the Committee.
Australian Journal of Human Rights – www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/AJHR/
The Australian Journal of Human Rights is a publication of the Australian Human Rights Centre (AHRC). The Journal is devoted exclusively to the publication of articles, commentary and book reviews about human rights developments in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Amnesty International Australia – www.amnesty.org.au
AI is a global movement defending human rights and dignity. AI works with people in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region to demand respect for human rights and protect people facing abuse.
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Human Rights Unit – www.dfat.gov.au/hr
