Submissions
September 2011
Submission to the SARC on the Review of the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
This submission calls for human rights protection in Victoria to be strengthened.
July 2010
Submission on the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010
July 2010: Our submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010 supports the broad purpose of the Bill, namely, that all Bills coming before Parliament be accompanied by a statement of compatibility with human rights. The Senate Committee's report which was released on 28 January 2011 generally supports the Bill and in places even recommends that it be strengthened.
June 2009
Submission to the National Human Rights Consultation
Our submission to the Australian government consultation headed by Frank Brennan strongly supports a Charter of Human Rights for Australia. The Consultation Committee's report was released on 8 October 2009 and it too recommended a National Charter.
August 2008
Submission to the federal government White Paper on Defence
Our submission to the Australian government White Paper on Defence supports many of the roles our defence forces now perform, but it questions their role in high intensity wars such as Vietnam and Iraq which lacked UN approval.
July 2008
Our book Confronting a Scandal was used to support the signing by Australia of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The purpose of the protocol is to establish a system of regular visits by independent bodies to places where people are deprived of liberty, in order to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Australia signed the optional protocol on 19 May 2009.
November, 2005
Responses to the Human Rights Consultation Committee
When ten people sat down to prepare this submission to the Victorian government Human Rights Consultation Committee, it marked the beginning of a body which later became the Mornington Peninsula Human Rights Group. Although we were late in submitting our responses to the Committee's questions, the Consultation Committee agreed to read our submission. The Committee's subsequent report led to the enactment of Victoria's Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.