Rights and Freedoms
Charlie Hebdo V 18C: no contest
Charlie Hebdo would have risked being censored by the courts, but self-censorship is the reality of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
News
Rights and Freedoms
Time to strengthen our lax surrogacy laws
Nationwide regulations are urgently needed to cover situations when Australians are engaging surrogates to have children for them. The range of assisted reproductive technologies available today presents many legal, moral and ethical challenges. These are challenges we can no longer ignore and...
Rights and Freedoms
Free speech, the public service and civilising behaviour
Before anyone screams "free speech", they should actually know what they are talking about. Earlier this week the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet released new social media protocols. The protocols limit the capacity of public servants to make statements that are "harsh or extreme in their...
Rights and Freedoms
Free speech is best medicine for the bigotry disease
THE proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act provide the basis for correcting the legal limits of free speech, promoting pluralism, opposing reprehensible racism and highlighting the importance of responsibility. Arguably the most important change is assessing an 18C violation based on...
Rights and Freedoms
Freedoms versus anti-discrimination laws? A false debate
Responsibility, anti-discrimination laws, human rights and freedoms - these words have been at the center of an ideological debate about how to protect fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom from detention without trial. But if we are serious about...
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Australia, Human Rights, Refugees and Asylum Seekers
A comment on the current human rights issues faced by Australia in the processing of refugees and asylum seekers
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
QIFVLS Gala Dinner
Mick Gooda addresses lateral violence at Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service (QIFVLS) Gala Dinner
Rights and Freedoms
Freedom of speech is not in danger in Australia (2013)
Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
7th National Indigenous Legal Conference
I would like to begin by acknowledging the Whadjuk Noongar people and I want to thank them, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, for allowing us to gather on their country.
Commission – General
Take judges out of human rights process (2009)
Predictably, opponents of a human rights act reacted swiftly to Mr McHugh's comments, misrepresenting concerns about specific aspects of one model of a human rights act as a reason to reject any such act.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Act closed wounds but not the gap (2009)
In 1994, phone numbers had seven digits, we listened to Crowded House, and it was legal to own a semi-automatic rifle. Mother And Son and A Country Practice disappeared from television screens, and The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert and Muriel's Wedding showed off our magnificent country and sense of humour while touching on tough issues such as marginalisation, sexuality and racism.
Rights and Freedoms
Bill of rights is essential to best serve human rights (2008)
Five years ago I began my term as the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, confident in the ability of the common law and a robust democracy to protect human rights. I leave convinced we need a major legal and cultural overhaul in order to deal with the human rights challenges of the 21st century.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Over-coming discrimination against Indigenous people
From the moment Australia was colonised Indigenous peoples have suffered discrimination at the hands of a legal system imported into this land. Not only were our own laws cast aside, but the new laws discriminated against us - and did so because of our race. In 1997, while there has been movement away from former policies of assimilation, removal and protection, the dominant legal system still discriminates against us.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
The Integration of Customary Law into the Australian legal system
Good afternoon, I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Noongar people, the traditional owners and custodians of the land where we are gathered today, and pay my respects to their elders. I’d also like to acknowledge my distinguished fellow speakers. My presentation today is focused on customary law. I will refer to Aboriginal customary law, though the points that I will make are equally relevant to Torres Strait Islanders and to their distinct systems of law and governance.
Legal
Law Seminar 2007: Stolen Wages - The Way Forward by Robynne Quiggin
I'd like to begin by acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Gadigal people. I would also like to acknowledge elders and colleagues here today, Senator Trood, Johnathon Hunyor, and to thank President Von Doussa for inviting me here today.
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