This is the complete statement given by Shani Cassidy as part of the Communication lodged with the UN Human Rights Committee by the Human Rights Law Centre about the need for Australia to ensure police related deaths are investigated by independent bodies.

The Human Rights Law Centre is honoured to receive the Australian Human Rights Law Award for 2012 for its proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in Australia.

On 6 August 2010, in an historic decision, the High Court struck down legislation which resulted in the early close of the electoral rolls and denied over 100,000 Australians the right to vote. The decision was a landmark victory for representative democracy, political participation and accountable government.

The Australian ‘reluctance about rights’ and the gap between international human rights law and Australian domestic law, policy and practice are well documented. Despite ratifying all of the major international human rights treaties, Australia has not fully implemented or incorporated their provisions into domestic law. Australia remains the only Western democracy without a legislatively or constitutionally enshrined charter of human rights.