Federal Governments Rejects Key Human Rights Recommendations
Liberty Victoria has expressed its dismay at the Federal Government’s rejection of key human rights recommendations made last year by the Brennan committee. It has branded the refusal to support a Human Rights Act, recommended by the committee, as cowardly and as a further sign that the Government has set its face squarely against human rights.
Click HERE to read the full media release
Human Rights ACT NOW!
The report of the National Human Rights Consultation Committee was
released on 8 October 2009, with 31 recommendations regarding how best
to ensure human rights protection in Australia. The release of this
landmark report signifies the end of the most extensive consultation on
human rights and one of the greatest exercises in participatory
democracy in Australia's history. This included 35,014 submissions to
the Committee from a diverse range of professions including church
ministers, nurses, job seekers, pensioners, lawyers and students.
President's report: advancing Liberty in 2010
Michael Pearce SC
This is my first President’s column in my second term as President. I was re-elected unopposed at our Annual General Meeting held on Monday 23 November 2009. Also elected to the executive were: Jamie Gardiner, Vice-President; Anne O’Rourke, Vice-President; Tim Warner, Treasurer; Jessie Taylor, Secretary; and Aggy Kapataniak, Assistant Secretary.
The myth of Australia as a land of the 'fair go'
Stephanie Batsakis
Australia prides itself on being the land of the ‘fair go’ and yet from an international perspective, this reputation has been tarnished by our recent human rights record. Persistent human rights violations across both Howard and Rudd governments demonstrate that a federal Human Rights Act is the only way to bring us into line with international human rights standards.
Playing politics with people's lives
Jessie Taylor
Since Liberty’s last newsletter, there has been a significant escalation in the game of asylum seeker policy. Perhaps it all started with a phone call from Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to his Indonesian counterpart, asking that Indonesian authorities intervene to prevent a boatload of Sri Lankan Tamils from approaching Australian waters.
The reality of the global refugee crisis
Dr Larry Stillman
Public perception of refugees causes razor sharp public anxiety with every boat arrival. Yet after rigorous scrutiny by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees or Australia’s Immigration Department, the vast majority of asylum seekers can in fact be classified as genuine refugees. Australia’s situation must be also seen from a global perspective.
Allowing the voices of victims to be heard
Natalie Simpson
Legal representation for victims in international criminal trials is an interesting and emerging field of international criminal law currently being developed through the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Governed by Article 68 of the Rome Statute, legal representation of victims is the practice of allowing victims of crime to have counsel represent them throughout proceedings.
Expanding the franchise in Australia
Kate Mallinson
The second Electoral Reform Green Paper was released for comment on September 23. Since 1918 the Commonwealth Electoral Act has only been rewritten once, in 1984, and consequently much of language contained in the Electoral Act is outdated, complex and in need of reform.
