Queensland Court to consider Australia’s first ‘climate change’ human rights case
As an increasing number of cases worldwide link climate change and human rights (for instance, see here), the first litigation of this kind in Australia is proceeding before Queensland’s Land...
Closing the Gap in Indigenous Australian Disadvantage Policy: A Human Rights Response
In 2008 the Council of Australian Governments decided to ‘close the gap in indigenous disadvantage’. It identified 6 targets in the fields of health, education and employment where policy could...
Pre-recorded evidence in Australia in an era of COVID-19
As the Australian government struggles to keep up with the rapid pace of COVID-19 (coronavirus), societal freedoms are being restricted. At the same time, certain constraints around criminal procedure are...
The Human Right to Belong: Indigenous rights and sovereignty in Australia
In 2019, the Minister of Immigration tried to deport two Aboriginal men from Australia. One was born in Papua New Guinea, and the other in New Zealand. Although long resident...
High Court of Australia delivers landmark ruling that Indigenous Australians cannot be deported
On 11 February 2020, the High Court of Australia (HCA) delivered a landmark judgment in which it ruled that indigenous Australians cannot be considered “aliens” under the Australian Constitution and...
Meeting Australian Human Rights Priorities before Implementing a Charter of Rights
A ‘landmark’ case currently in Australia involves one of world rugby’s biggest stars, Israel Folau, who was sacked by Rugby Australia for posting a religious text on his Instagram account....
Should government employees be able to criticise the government?
In Australia, the Australian Public Service (‘APS’) is statutorily required to be ‘apolitical, performing its functions in an impartial and professional manner’ (s 10(1) of the Public Service Act 1999...
Religious minorities in Austria lose Good Friday as a public holiday
For the first time since 1952, this year, Good Friday on the 19thApril was not a public holiday for employees who are members of the Evangelical Churches of the Augsburg...
Gloucester Resources and Its Radical Implications for Indigenous Environmental Justice
The decision by New South Wales Land and Environment court, Australia, rejecting the appeal by Gloucester Resources for the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine in Hunter’s Valley, has gathered public...
A Question of Values: Religious Schools, Discrimination, and LGBT+ Rights in Australia
Striking the appropriate balance between religious freedom and LGBT+ rights continues to be controversial across the world. In Australia, this controversy is currently situated in the schoolyard. The current debate...
A Human Rights Act for Queensland
Queensland is soon to be the third Australian jurisdiction with a statutory bill of rights. Earlier this month, the Queensland Labor Government introduced the Human Rights Bill 2018 (Qld) to...
Australia to Transfer Asylum Seeker and Refugee Children from Nauru to Australia
The Australian government has confirmed plans to transfer all asylum seeker and refugee children from Nauru to Australia by Christmas. This news comes after mounting pressure from the public, medical...
