Australian Lawyers for Human Rights - Campaigns
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UN Special Session on
Children
The United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children
is taking place in September 2001. The draft outcome statement
for Special Session is called "A World Fit for
Children". It was
discussed at the final Preparatory Committee meeting on 11-15
June 2001 in New York.
NGOs attending that meeting from Australia included Open Family Australia, the Australasian College of Sexual Health Physicians, and the Community Legal Centres of NSW.
ALHR has made comments on the draft outcome statement. Those comments have been provided to the UNICEF for distribution to the NGOs, and to the Federal Government.
For further information about the UN Special Session on Children, a Newsletter has been produced by UNICEF New York, as the substantive Secretariat for the Special Session.
Exclude people with a
drug dependence from anti-discrimination laws?
In February 2001, in letters to the NSW and
Commonwealth Attorneys General, ALHR raised concerns
regarding proposals to amend Federal and State
anti-discrimination law to prevent drug dependence from being
defined as a disability.
Removing the 'Teoh'
legitimate expectation
In Minister of State for Immigration
and Ethnic Affairs v Ah Hin Teoh
(1994-1995) 183 CLR 273 the Australian High Court confirmed
that an applicant to the Government for an administrative
decision has a legitimate expectation that the decision-maker
will take into account Australia's international treaty
obligations when making the decision.
In April 2001 the Australian Government re-introduced a Bill designed to negate the effect of the High Court decision in Teoh. The Bill is the Administrative Decisions (Effect of International Instruments) Bill 1999.
Australian Lawyers for Human Rights wrote to all Australian Senators urging them to oppose the Bill. Response to our submission divided along party lines: the Government supporting the Bill, the Labor Party proposing amendments, and the Democrats opposing the Bill.
As well, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights issued a public comment on the Bill.
We will update this site when we know the fate of the Bill.
A Bill of Rights for NSW?
In May 2000 ALHR made a submission to the Law and Justice
Committee inquiry into a Bill of Rights. The submission is
available as a .pdf document from the Committee's website. At the site,
follow the links:
- Committees by name
- Law and Justice Committee
- Bill of Rights inquiry
- Inquiry Submissions
- Submission #21
On 18 July 2000 ALHR gave evidence to the Bill of Rights inquiry. A transcript is available as a .pdf document from the Committee's website. At the site, follow the links:
- Committees by name
- Law and Justice Committee
- Bill of Rights inquiry
- Inquiry Transcripts
- 18/07/00
An International Criminal
Court?
In December 2000 ALHR made a submission to the Australian
Government's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Inquiry into
the 1998 Statute for an International Criminal Court.
The submission will automatically download as a .pdf document
from the Committee's website.
On 13 February 2001 ALHR gave evidence to the Australian Government's Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Inquiry into the 1998 Statute for an International Criminal Court. The transcript will automatically download as a .pdf document from the Committee's website.
On 15 February 2001 the Sydney Morning
Herald published a letter from Australian
Lawyers for Human Rights on Australia's ratification of the
International Criminal Court.
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Amending the Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Act?
In 1998 the Australian Government called for submissions in
relation to its Human Rights Legislation
Amendment Bill (No. 2) 1998. In
July 1998 Australian Lawyers for Human Rights made a submission in response to an invitation from the Australian
Government. The Bill has not yet been passed by the Australian
Government, due in large part to a range of objections taken to
its terms.
Convention Against
Torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or
punishment
On 6 February 1998 Australian Lawyers for Human Rights provided comments to the Australian Government on the draft of Australia’s Second Report to the Committee
Against Torture under the Convention.
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Last updated 2002/01/14