Submission to Senate Inquiry into Access to Justice
On 5 February 2009, the Senate ordered the review of Australia's judicial system, the role of judges and access to justice. The Human Rights Law Resource Centre's Submission to the Access to Justice Inquiry analyses and discusses the Terms of Reference with particular reference to the right to a fair hearing, as enshrined in art 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The right to a fair hearing is a fundamental human right, is instrumental to the effective protection of all other human rights, and must be central to any discussion of access to and administration of justice.