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Lawyer X Scandal: Denying the Rights of those Affected Comes at a Cost
The Victorian government has introduced legislation into parliament that will override the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) (“Charter”). The State Civil Liability (Police Informants) Bill 2024 extinguishes civil actions arising out of the Lawyer X saga, in which criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo became an informant for Victoria Police.
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An inquiry has recommended Australia legislate a Human Rights Act. Here’s why we need one
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Launch of Australia’s National Prison Newspaper
Australian prisons are restrictive, closed-off and opaque environments. Little information travels across prison cells and there is minimal communication between inside and out. While the UK, the US and many European countries support popular prison journalism initiatives, Australia has no equivalent. Beginning in July this year, a new company represented by formerly incarcerated people, lawyers,…
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Tickle vs Giggle: in a world where transgender people are under attack, this is a test case for Australia
There is increasing concern that a US-style anti-trans campaign is underway in Australia. A spotlight was shone on these issues in the Federal Court, where a trans woman, Roxanne Tickle, has taken a women-only social media platform to court for discrimination. This case is providing the court with a rare opportunity to determine the extent to which the Sex…
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Following the Voice failure, Indigenous politicians are calling for the UN’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to be implemented. What is it and what would it mean?
The Voice referendum was a disappointing result for many, but there is hope that much of its vision could be achieved via a different path. The Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs has presented a report to federal parliament calling for the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
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After the Voice defeat, we can never again allow politics to suspend the cause of Indigenous justice
Australians rejected the proposal for a Voice to Parliament embedded in the constitution. This week marked 100 days since that unsuccessful referendum. By now we expected those who campaigned against the constitutional reform would have stepped up with their proposals about how to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. Alas, there has been only a deafening…
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law 