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The question of conscientious objection in the voluntary assisted dying debate
Voluntary assisted dying (VAD) has been legal in countries such as Switzerland and the Netherlands for more than a decade. In Australia, aside from a brief introduction by the Northern Territory in 1995 that was quickly overruled by conflicting federal legislation, VAD remained illegal in every Australian jurisdiction until 2017.
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State by state, ‘safe access zones’ around clinics are shielding women from abortion protesters
By Ronli Sifris It has been a significant few years for the legal promotion and protection of the right of Australian women to access the full range of reproductive health services. Legislation decriminalising abortion was passed in both Victoria and Tasmania. The federal government took a stance in support of the accessibility of RU486, the medical…
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The 2015 Human Rights Report – Why commercial surrogacy should be legalised
By Ronli Sifris This piece is featured in the 2015 Castan Centre Human Rights Report. We will be featuring the articles on the blog throughout the month of May. In August 2014, the story of Baby Gammy hit the headlines nationwide. Baby Gammy was born with Down Syndrome as part of a surrogacy arrangement between his biological…
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AFP will have blood on its hands if Bali pair Chan and Sukumaran are executed
By Ronli Sifris In recent weeks there has been a renewal of public interest in the Bali Nine, largely stemming from the rejection by Indonesian President Joko Widodo of pleas for clemency to save the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. It is well known that Chan and Sukumaran have been on death row for…
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2014 Castan Human Rights Report: Reproductive rights still under threat
By Ronli Sifris Decades after the fight for reproductive rights began in Australia, the issue is in the spotlight again because of three significant developments. Report on Involuntary Sterilisation of People with Disabilities Australia, together with many other countries, has a history of sterilising people with disabilities and intersex people. During 2012-13, the Senate Community…
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Tasmania Decriminalises Abortion
By Ronli Sifris A country that respects the rights of women should not be satisfied with abortion remaining a crime. Tasmania has taken a huge step forward, writes Ronli Sifris. The right to terminate a pregnancy has been categorised as falling within a number of existing human rights norms, such as the right to health…
Castan Centre for Human Rights Law 
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