Karen was farewelled by the Victorian human rights community in a function held at the Commission’s offices in Carlton in July. Staff, government representatives and community leaders alike spoke of her capacity for innovation and strategic thinking to achieve practical outcomes and positive change. Her leadership, drive and appetite for tackling challenging and significant human rights issues will certainly be missed.
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The Victorian Government has appointed Australia’s first Aboriginal Children's Commissioner. The newly-appointed Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People, Andrew Jackomos, will focus on reducing the high number of Aboriginal children who are in the justice system or who are at risk of abuse.
Read MoreAttorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC has asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to inquire into how to reduce legal barriers to people with disabilities.
Read MoreThe Attorney-General, the Hon Mark Dreyfus MP, has announced a new inquiry for the Australian Law Reform Commission ‒ a review of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth).
Read MoreIn July, the Commonwealth Minister for the Status of Women, the Hon Julie Collins MP, and the Victorian Minister for Community Services, the Hon Mary Wooldridge MP, launched a new organisation, the Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children. The Foundation has been set up to raise awareness and engage the community to prevent violence against women and their children. Natasha Stott Despoja AM has been appointed as Chair of the Foundation.
Read MoreThe Australian Human Rights Commission President, Professor Gillian Triggs, has welcomed the appointment of Dr Tim Soutphommasane as Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner.
Read MoreOn July 10 and 11 the UN Human Rights Committee reviewed Indonesia’s implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Read MoreIn the lead-up to Prime Minister Rudd's announcement of the government’s disastrous Papua New Guinea refugee ‘solution’, an event took place that understandably escaped much public attention.
Read MoreThe office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights launched a new public information campaign to raise awareness of homophobic and transphobic violence and discrimination and to promote respect for the rights of LGBT people. The campaign will focus on the need for legal reforms and public education.
Read MoreIf citizens are to have rights worth having, they can only be guaranteed by constitutional entrenchment or by the Parliament scrutinising legislation and the Courts continuing to apply the principle of legality, writes Federal Court judge, Steven Rares.
Read MoreA damning report into the operation of Western Australia’s youth corrections system has identified systemic failures and regular mistreatment of young people in detention. Ben Schokman, a lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre, said the youth justice system is entirely failing Western Australia’s young people.
Read MoreA Queensland jail worker at the Brisbane Women's Correctional Centre has been granted bail after facing charges for a number of offences, including raping inmates, attempted sexual assaults and attempting to procure a sexual act by intimidation.
Read MoreTasmania’s move to decriminalise abortion has been welcomed by the Human Rights Law Centre in a submission to a Parliamentary Committee reviewing the proposed laws.
Read MoreLong overdue legal protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people have coming into effect have been welcomed, but also highlight the need for systemic reform to Australia’s outdated discrimination laws.
Read MoreRemoving the Adult Parole Board’s exemption from Victoria’s Human Rights Charter would strengthen community safety and reduce the risk of mistakes like the failure to cancel Adrian Bayley’s parole.
Read MorePlans to send all asylum seekers to Papua New Guinea breach international law and condemn thousands of people to significant suffering.
Read MoreThe Human Right Law Centre's Daniel Webb on ABC News24 responds to the announcement by the Rudd Government that no asylum seekers arriving in Australia by boat will ever be settled in Australia.
Read MoreThe Tasmanian Government is calling for submissions regarding the proposal to decriminalise abortion through the introduction of the Reproductive Health (Access to Terminations) Bill 2013.
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