Rebecca Peters jointly received the 1996 Human Rights Medal for her contribution to researching, educating and lobbying for gun law reforms in Australia. She has provided advice to the Federal and many State governments in the drafting and review of new legislation. In the wake of the Port Arthur tragedy, Ms Peters, National Convenor of the Coalition for Gun Control, campaigned vigorously for gun law reform, and since that time, new legislation has been passed in all Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory, and new laws have been drafted for debate in the Northern Territory.
Prior to her work with the Coalition, Ms Peters was active on a broad range of social issues, including the Women's Electoral Lobby, the Reclaim the Night Collective, the Council for Civil Liberties, and researcher for the first secretary of the reconvened National Inquiry on the Human Rights of People with a Mental Illness. "I believe it is of the utmost importance for people to be full participants in society without the fear of gun violence. For many Australians the Port Arthur tragedy challenged our assumptions that public spaces in broad daylight are safe. The new gun laws will help us to regain that confidence and prevent it being shattered again" she said.
Human rights medal
Winner