Media Alert - Press Conference: High Court to hear test case from asylum seeker mother facing return to Nauru

Media Alert – Door Stop Press Conference:

9:30am Wednesday 7 October 2015 in the High Court forecourt in Parkes Place, Canberra.

High Court to hear test case from asylum seeker mother facing return to Nauru

The full bench of the High Court will sit on Wednesday and Thursday to hear a challenge to the lawfulness of the Australian Government’s role in offshore detention.

The Human Rights Law Centre’s Director of Legal Advocacy, Daniel Webb, will hold a doorstop press conference at 9:30am Wednesday 7 October in the High Court forecourt.

The case is being run on behalf of a woman from Bangladesh who was brought to Australia due to a serious deterioration in her health during the late stages of pregnancy and who is now facing imminent return to Nauru with her ten month old baby. This is the lead case linked to a series of challenges being run on behalf of more than 200 people in similar situations who have been brought to Australia from Nauru and Manus. They include men subjected to serious violence on Manus, women who’ve been sexually assaulted on Nauru and over 50 children, including 23 babies.

Mr Webb said the case raises important and untested questions around the legality of Australia’s role in operating and funding offshore detention centres. 

"Australia should not be indefinitely warehousing people on remote islands. A vulnerable mother with a ten month old child should not face imminent return to a place that we know is harmful and unsafe, particularly for women and children,” said Mr Webb.

The changes announced yesterday to the detention arrangements on Nauru will be one of the issues before the court.

For further details, please contact:
Tom Clarke, HRLC Director of Communications on 0422 545 763
Daniel Webb, HRLC Director of Legal Advocacy on 0437 278 961
Hugh de Kretser, HRLC Executive Director on 0403 965 340.

Previous media releases about this case:
High Court set to hear challenge to offshore detention on Nauru – Nauru announces transition to ‘open centre’ - 5 October 2015
High Court sets date for case challenging offshore detention - 21 August 2015
High Court challenge to offshore detention - 14 May 2015