Castan Centre for Human Rights Law

Category: Auslaw

  • 2014 Castan Human Rights Report: ASIO’s human rights problem

    By Patrick Emerton Last year, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s annual report referred to ‘terrorism’ more than 60 times while the phrase ‘human rights’ appeared once. This discrepancy reflects ASIO’s willingness to prioritise its search for terrorists even when it may come at considerable expense to human rights. The report, tabled in parliament last October…

  • 2014 Castan Human Rights Report: Corporations now less accountable

    By Joanna Kyriakakis The Bangladesh Rana Plaza disaster in 2013 was a stark reminder of the human costs of a poorly regulated global economy. A supplier of major retailers like Benetton, Walmart and Coles, the garment factory collapsed as a result of poor construction and little safety regulation. 1,129 people died, making it the worst…

  • 2014 Castan Human Rights Report: Human rights in need of aid

    By Adam McBeth Foreign aid and human rights are inextricably linked, as aid is often the only way to fulfil peoples’ rights in developing countries. This is especially true for economic, social and cultural rights such as the rights to water, housing, health, education and a sustainable livelihood. However, it is also true for many…

  • 2014 Castan Human Rights Report: The “freedom” debate

    By Sarah Joseph Our Federal government is committed to promoting greater ‘freedom’. We have a new ‘Freedom Commissioner’, Tim Wilson. And, writing in January, Attorney General George Brandis described ‘freedom’ as the ‘most fundamental of all human rights’. What does “freedom” mean? But … freedom of what? Freedom to what? Freedom without an accompanying noun…

  • Is the Australian government scared of children?

    Children’s complaints to the UN could embarrass Canberra, but should be heard. By Dr Paula Gerber and Melissa Castan Is the Australian Government scared of children? Is there any other explanation for why we have refused to sign on to the new system that allows children to bring complaints of human rights violations to the…

  • Guest Blog: Racism is a moral bad that our law should combat

    By Tim Soutphommasane Can you legislate for virtue or eradicate racism through laws? These are questions that have been raised in the current debate about the Racial Discrimination Act. Some, particularly those who favour the Federal Government’s proposed reform to the Act, suggest that combating discrimination is best left to the marketplace of ideas. We…