Jasreet from Werribee Secondary College is the winner of our 2024 School Writing Competition with this entry: In a nation founded on the principles of fairness, equality, and justice, the implementation of an Australian Charter of Human Rights stands as a crucial milestone in our journey towards a more equitable society. This Charter serves as a beacon of hope, ensuring that the rights and dignity of all individuals are not just protected, but revered. By enshrining human rights into the fabric of our legal and governmental systems, we pave the way for a more compassionate and inclusive Austra ..read more

Too many people, especially children, do not have full access to their right to education, a new report, authored by the University of Newcastle’s Centre for Law and Social Justice in collaboration with the Human Rights Law Centre, has found. Despite a long history of commitment to both human rights and education, Australia does not recognise an enforceable right to education in federal law. Not only is this inconsistent with Australia’s obligations under international human rights law, but it also has real consequences for people whose right to education is infringed upon. The Right to Educat ..read more

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the missing human rights considerations in federal government decisions and policies, the Human Rights Law Centre today told the Federal Government COVID-19 inquiry on behalf of the Charter of Rights campaign, a coalition made up of over 90 organisations.  In a submission to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Centre called for an Australian Charter of Human Rights, which would put human rights at the heart of government decision-making and laws. The Charter would have been a powerful tool to challenge controversial decisions by the then-Morri ..read more

A new resource has been developed to assist Victorian lawyers and civil society advocates defend and promote human rights for all Victorians.  Launched by the Human Rights Law Centre, and supported by the Victoria Law Foundation’s Community Legal Grants, the resource focuses on how the Victorian Charter of Human Rights works, provides examples of how it has been used to uphold human rights, and how to take action such as making a complaint with the Victorian Ombudsman.  The COVID-19 pandemic was a clear example of how having clear human rights considerations at the heart of law-makin ..read more

The Human Rights Law Centre is calling for the ACT Government to strengthen its proposal to add the right to a healthy environment to the Human Rights Act 2004. In a submission to the ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety’s inquiry into the proposed new law, the Human Rights Law Centre has called for:  proactive engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT;  the right to a healthy environment to by fully enforceable through the courts so that people can access justice if the right is breached; and  all aspect ..read more

Forum held on 15 November 2023 co-hosted by Human Rights Law Centre and Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW. Speakers: Corey Irlam, Deputy CEO of Council On The Ageing Australia Mary Ann Boquero Geronimo, CEO of the Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia Helen Dalley-Fisher, Convenor of Equality Rights Alliance Daney Faddoul, Campaign Manager of Human Rights Law Centre Moderated by Professor Andrew Byrnes, Australian Human Rights Institute Recording courtesy of Australian Human Rights Institute at UNSW Supported by Humanists Victoria, a sub fund of Aust ..read more

The Human Rights Law Centre today applauds the ACT Government for introducing legislation to enshrine the ‘right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment’ into the Human Rights Act 2004. If passed, the Barr Government will be the first government in Australia to recognise the standalone right to a healthy environment in law. Including the right to a healthy environment in law is one step towards the urgent change needed in the face of the existential triple-threats of climate change, rampant pollution and escalating environmental degradation. In July 2022, Australia supported a lan ..read more

The Albanese Government can create a lasting legacy by introducing a Charter of Human Rights to ensure that dignity, equality and respect guide all government laws and decision-making, the Human Rights Law Centre will today tell a Parliamentary Committee when it gives evidence on Australia’s Human Rights Framework.    In its submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Centre emphasised the urgent need for a federal Charter and how it would work in practice to:  Ensure everyone in Australia is treated with respect by government authorities  Ensur ..read more

The Albanese Government must seize the moment to introduce an Australian Charter of Human Rights to guide government decision making, prevent breaches of human rights and provide access to justice, the Charter campaign today told a parliamentary inquiry. In a submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Australia’s Human Rights Framework, the campaign, made up of over 90 organisations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with a disability, women, children, older persons, LGBTIQ+ people, and people from migrant and refugee communities, provided evidence that a Charter ..read more

On 20 June 2023 the Human Rights Law Centre and University of Technology Sydney’s Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion co-hosted a webinar on people with disability’s human rights, and what difference a Charter of Human Rights would make. Speakers: * Neha Prakash, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, National Ethnic Disability Alliance * Liz Hudson, Policy and Research Manager, Children and Young People with Disability Australia * Hannah Solomons, University of Technology Sydney Faculty of Law PhD candidate * Alice Drury, Senior Lawyer, Human Rights Law Centre Moderated by Pro Vice-Chance ..read more