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News
What you will find on this page:
News on the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT)
The ACT Govt is calling for community feedback by 12 Oct 2009 on the recommendations made in our final report and on the operation and scope of the ACT Human Rights Act generally.
Find out more
Companion House Inc. the first entity in the ACT to opt-in to the Human Rights Act, under s 40D ('Other entities may choose to be subject to obligations of public authorities') of the Act.
Click here to see the declaration by the ACT Attorney-General.
ACT Greens and ACT ALP Agreement for the 7th Legislative Assembly
On 31 October 2008, the ACT Greens and the ACT Labor Party signed a Parliamentary Agreement relating to the conduct of the 7th ACT Legislative Assembly. Two commitments in particular are relevant to the operation of the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT):
3.7 Amendments to the Human Rights Act 2004 requiring all Private Members’ Bills to be assessed for compliance with the Act. (Appendix 1)
3.8 Statements of compliance with the Human Rights Act 2004 to include a detailed Statement of Reasons, recognising more detailed consideration of the resource implications. (Appendix 1)
Human Rights Amendment Act 2008 (ACT)
News on the ACTHRA Project
ACTHRA Project's Final Report: 'The Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT): The First Five Years of Operation', 2009.
Final Report [pdf] or [word]
Final Report and other Progress Reports on the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT)
Protecting Human Rights 2009 Conference-2 October 2009
Details and registration
Protecting Human Rights 2008 Conference -3 October 2008
Conference papers (available in our publications section)
Human Rights and Restorative Justice - Workshop in honour of Terry Connolly -
26 February 2008
Conference papers
Protecting Human Rights 2007 Conference-25 September 2007
Conference papers (available in our publications section)
Australian Bills of Rights: the ACT and Beyond - 21 June 2006
Conference papers
ACT Human Rights Act Legal Network
More information about the Network
Anti-Terrorism Laws and the ACT Human Rights Act
Project documents and media reports
Developments in other States and Territories
ACT HRA in the Media
For media reports on bills of rights issues in other states/territories and at federal level, see individual news pages above
2009
- Court delays leave alleged criminals stuck behind bars [pdf], Canberra Times, 2 Noveember 2009 [word]
- Lawyers blink at prison eye scans [pdf], Canberra Times, 30 October 2009 [word]
- Getting around transport hitches [pdf], The Canberra Times, 22 October 2009 [word]
- Prisoners get $200,000 over rights breach [pdf], The Canberra Times, 11 September 2009 [word]
- Speaker apologises for Barr [pdf], The Canberra Times, 3 September 2009 [word]
- Sorry, but I am not going to apologise, Barr says [pdf], The Canberra Times, 27 August 2009 [word]
- ANU law experts say bill is a win for human rights in the Territory [pdf], The Canberra Times, 20 August 2009 [word] [Note: Article related to ACTHRA Final Report]
- Human rights laws fail to deliver: ACTCOSS [pdf], ABC News, 19 August 2009 [word] [Note: Article related to ACTHRA Final Report]
- Legal strength in freedom to wear burka [pdf], The Canberra Times, 15 July 2009 [word]
- Inmate accuses board of denying him natural justice [pdf], The Canberra Times, 3 July 2009 [word]
- Hearing stalled by wait for evidence [pdf], The Canberra Times, 2 June 2009 [word]
- Weekend detainees failing to show up [pdf], The Canberra Times, 15 June 2009 [word]
- Anti-bikie laws will make it harder to deal with gang crime [pdf], The Canberra Times, 13 April 2009 [word]
- Businesses baulk at new human rights law [pdf], Canberra Times, 23 February 2009 [word]
- Greens, Libs hold back posters bill [pdf], Canberra Times, 11 February 2009 [word]
- Tenants may sue over living expenses [pdf], Canberra Times, 5 February 2009 [word]
- Tunnel, riot, now this ... heat is on over ACT inmates [pdf], Canberra Times, 31 January 2009 [word]
- In brief [pdf], Canberra Times, 17 January 2009 [word]
- Business opts out of human rights act [pdf], The Australian, 16 January 2009 [word]
2008
- ACT remand centres put rights at risk; Inspection raises concerns [pdf], Canberra Times, 1 November 2008 [word]
- Sex slavery everywhere, writer warns [pdf], Canberra Times, 23 September 2008 [word]
- Mentally ill man jailed for 99 days, court told [pdf], Canberra Times, 18 September 2008 [word]
- Wrongly jailed drink-driver tells court of anguish [pdf], Canberra Times, 16 September 2008 [word]
- Human Rights Act used in compensation test case [pdf], Canberra Times, 9 September 2008 [word]
- Thorny election issues; but little scope for real change [pdf], Canberra Times, 24 August 2008 [word]
- Liberals aim to wedge Labor on bill of rights [pdf] Glenn Milne, the Australian, 11 August 2008 [word].
- Drug testing drivers at random may infringe human rights laws [pdf], the Canberra Times, 25 June 2008 [word]
- Stanhope pressures PM on gay unions [pdf], the Australian, 23 April 2008 [word]
- Human Rights further entrenched in the ACT [pdf], media release, Attorney-General Simon Corbell, 4 March 2008[word]
- Assembly debates Human Rights Bill [pdf], ABC news, 4 March 2008 [word]
- Time to try a new approach to prison inmates [pdf], Canberra Times, 2 March 2008 [word]
- Inside Canberra's humane prison [pdf], Canberra Times, 2 March 2008 [word]
- Amendment to ensure administration is brought to rights[pdf], Hilary Charlesworth and Gabrielle McKinnon, Canberra Times 25 February 2008 [word]
- Newbie MP's urge an end to work conflict [pdf], the Australian, 15 February 2008 [word]
- Courts to hear cases on rights abuses [pdf], the Canberra Times, 12 February 2008 [word]
- Syringes in jail - letters [pdf], Canberra Times, 5 February 2008 [word]
- Charters of Human Rights are profoundly democratic[pdf], Philip Lynch, the Age, 22 January 2008 [word]
- Henry Parkes Oration - Geoff Gallop [pdf], 20 October 2007, played on ABC Radio National 15 January 2008
- Pensioner sues ACT over 73 days in jail [pdf], Canberra Times, 11 January 2008 [word].
2007
- Vic to act on human rights, Charter based on ACT law [pdf], Canberra Times, 29 December 2007 [word]
- Guards for new prison ready for service[pdf] Canberra Times 21 December 2007 [word]
- Care of mentally ill patients reviewed[pdf] Canberra Times, 12 December 2007[word]
- Mother wins fight over house listing, Canberra Times, 13 October 2007
- Human rights "beat terror", The Australian 5 October 2007
- Bike mates to honour Connolly, Canberra Times, 3 October 2007
- Ban will not affect political coverage, Canberra Times, 28 September 2007
- Results of fireworks survey will be worse than meaningless (letter to the editor), Canberra Times, 28 September 2007
- Tears flow as judge farewelled, Canberra Times, 27 September 2007
- A true gentleman of the court, Canberra Times, 26 September 2007
- Warm tributes for a patient pioneer, Canberra Times, 26 September 2007
- Shock as judge dies of heart attack, Canberra Times, 26 September 2007
- Call for Nauru refugees to be settled here, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 September 2007
- Police impound rented bus, search passengers at roadblock, Canberra Times, 7 September 2007
- Killer wins remand centre battle, Canberra Times, 24 August 2007
- Your rights in danger, Gold Coast Bulletin, 18 August 2007
- The merits of convict labour, Canberra Times, 14 August 2007
- The rule of law is there to protect us all, The Advertiser, 13 August 2007
- How rights took root in the human conscience, The Australian, 11 August 2007
- Kirby lashes fellow judges over terror case ruling, The Age, 3 August 2007
- We must stop this erosion of Austrailan democracy, The Age, 3 August 2007
- Vision is needed to drive reforms, The Australian, 3 August 2007
- Human rights (letter to the editor), The Advertiser, 2 August 2007
- Judgment daze, The Australian, 1 August 2007
- Dodgy outcome demands review, The Australian, 1 August 2007
- Time ripe for bill of rights, Canberra Times, 31 July 2007
- Stanhope's standards (letter to the editor), Canberra Times, 31 July 2007
- Haneef 'shows need' for Bill of Rights, Canberra Times, 29 July 2007
- Heavy hand over terror threat is one-way ticket to loss of liberty, Canberra Times, 21 July 2007
- Two sides to the coin over citizens' rights, Gold Coast Bulletin, 20 July 2007
- Put meddling judges in their place, The Australian, 18 July 2007
- Laws lack checks: experts, Sydney Morning Herald, 5 July 2007
- Whither government in today's society?, Canberra Times, 3 July 2007
- Private profits and public service, Financial Review, 22 June 2007 (text not available online)
- Collectively condemning WorkChoices, The Age, 20 June 2007
- Democracy stifled in arena of prejudice (letter to the editor), The Age, 14 June 2007
- In the public's interest to fight gag (letter to the editor), The Courier Mail, 5 June 2007
- Bill of rights right (letter to the editor), Canberra Times, 4 June 2007
- Careful, he might hear you, Sydney Morning Herald, 2 June 2007
- 'Wrongs' law wrong (letter to the editor), Canberra Times, 1 June 2007
- Bill of rights gets it wrong, Canberra Times, 30 May 2007
- Indigenous outlook slow to improve, The Courier Mail, 26 May 2007
- Hicks a test case for human rights statute, Newcastle Herald, 23 May 2007
- Libel case raises allegations of ethnic cleansing, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 May 2007
- Ex-judge hits out at 'elected dictatorship', The Age, 16 May 2007
- ALP adds to excess and puts union power above individual rights, Canberra Times, 5 May 2007
- Face off on human rights, The Northern Territorian, 2 May 2007
- Sweeping changes to ACT public housing, Canberra Times, 1 May 2007
- Litany of voices tells of common law's failure to protect rights, Sydney Morning Herald, 1 May 2007
- Democracy thrives in a free press and politics, not in the judiciary, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 April 2007
- Labor to recognise rights of same-sex couples, The Australian, 28 April 2007
- Working charters open door to better governance, an edited version of this paper was published in the Australian Financial Review, 27 April 2007
- Ruddock rejects rights charter, The West Australian, 27 April 2007
- National charter of rights essential (Media Release), 27 April 2007
- Why a bill of rights is wrong, The Australian, 27 April 2007
- Carr warns on bill of rights push, The Australian, 26 April 2007
- Robertson sees need for a Bill of Rights, Canberra Times, 25 April 2007
- Charter of rights to get seal of approval, The Financial Review, 24 April 2007
- Hindmarsh wins $40m tender, Canberra Times, 21 April 2007
- Beware, charted waters have murky depths, The Australian, 18 April 2007
- May the politics of self-analysis prevail, The Australian, 18 April 2007
- Human rights should not rely on government whim, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 April 2007
- A dead fish in a sea of red tape, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 April 2007
- Review on police pursuits faces hard hurdles in process, Canberra Times, 14 April 2007
- Anger at ACT police silence on sex assault, Canberra Times, 12 April 2007
- Human Rights Commission set up, Canberra Times, 5 April 2007
- Do we need a bill of rights?, Northern Territory News, 4 April 2007
- Launch of the Human Rights Commission (Media Alert), 3 April 2007
- Hicks gag affects our liberties too, The Australian, 2 April 2007
- Australian freedom goes on trial, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 March 2007 (text not available online)
- Lessons from an injustice, The Age, 31 March 2007
- Charters of rights do not threaten freedom, they guarantee it, The Age, 23 March 2007
- Too rigid, no bill of rights: Kirby's Constitution verdict, Sydney Morning Herald, 19 March 2007 (text not available online)
- Kirby calls for Aussie rights bill, Hobart Mercury, 17 March 2007
- A lens on rights, Herald Sun, 6 February 2007
- Your right to rights, The Age, 3 February 2007 (text not available online)
- The right priority, Herald Sun, 30 January 2007
- Jail term stretch: sex fiends to stay after sentence runs out, Herald Sun, 29 January 2007
- Empowerment or the right to power, The Age, 18 January 2007
- Breathe new life into our nation, The Advertiser, 13 January 2007
- Reform the foundations, The Canberra Times, 10 January 2007
- Submissions on child law urged, The Canberra Times, 13 January 2007
- Human rights in dogma's sights, The Mercury, 8 January 2007
- Police reason for not issuing photos 'is just nonsense', The Times, 6 January 2007
- Law and disorder, The Mercury, 4 January 2007
- Charting a course for legal disaster, The Australian, 4 January 2007
- Human rights complaint to UN over deportation, The Age, 3 January 2007
2006
2005
[follow this link for further articles on the Federal Anti-Terrorism laws]
- Thinking Outside a Box of , Canberra Times, 24 September 2005
- International Plaudit for Architect of Bill of Rights (Jon Stanhope, Media Release, 22 September 2005)
- Rights that are all wrong, The Age, 27 September 2005
- Push to Ease Limits on Shock Treatment, Canberra Times, 1 July 2005
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Bills that let Judges make laws, Canberra Times, 11 June 2005
- State Bill of Rights a Good Move, says Fraser, The Sunday Age, 19 June 2005
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