Human rights must be at the heart of Government’s response to COVID-19
The Human Rights Law Centre has told the Senate Committee tasked with investigating the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19 that human rights must be at the centre of the Government’s actions, both now and into the future.
Hugh de Kretser, Executive Director with the Human Rights Law Centre said the COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus human rights issues requiring urgent action.
“The pandemic and its economic fallout are not impacting people equally. They are laying bare inequality and injustice in our society. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, older people, people in detention, people with a disability, people in insecure work and refugees and people seeking asylum are all at greater risk. Out of this crisis, we have an opportunity to build a fairer, more compassionate community with human rights at its heart.”
The Human Rights Law Centre’s submission recommends key measures to safeguard human rights in the pandemic, from reducing the number of people held in immigration detention, to ensuring proper democratic scrutiny and accountability, to extending the social safety net so people don’t fall through the cracks, and much more.
“We are at a pivotal moment. The actions we take today are crucial to keeping people safe during this crisis and shaping the country that emerges on the other side. We must ensure our governments are responding appropriately, fairly and in a way that promotes, rather than undermines, human rights and democracy for years to come.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us of the critical importance of human rights. As this crisis subsides, there should be a priority on ensuring that we have better services, laws and policies all of the time. An Australian Charter of Human Rights would help ensure that values we all share, like fairness, dignity and compassion, are placed at the heart of government action.”
Read the submission to the Senate Select Committee on COVID-19 here.
Media contact:
Michelle Bennett, Communications Director: 0419 100 519
Legal challenge filed against Tasmanian Parole Board’s decision to gag free speech
The Human Rights Law Centre has filed legal proceedings on behalf of Tasmanian grandmother, Susan Neill-Fraser, to challenge a restrictive parole condition placed on her by the Tasmanian Parole Board seeking to limit her ability to speak to the media.
Read more
University of Melbourne urged to drop repressive anti-protest and surveillance policies
The University of Melbourne is being urged to abandon policy changes that restrict staff and students’ right to protest and permit the widespread surveillance of people using their wifi network.
Read more
Expanded protections for marginalised groups welcomed in Allan Government’s anti-vilification laws
The Human Rights Law Centre welcomes the additional protections for marginalised groups in anti-vilification laws passed today by the Allan Government. These laws expand protections from vilification to include people from LGBTIQA+ and disability communities, and provide communities with important civil law avenues to address vilification.
Read more
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands across Australia, including the lands of the Wurundjeri, Boon Wurrung, Gadigal, Ngunnawal, Darug and Wadawurrung people where we work from.
We pay our respect to Elders, both past and present.
This land always was, and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land. Sovereignty has never been ceded.
WARNING: This site contains images or names of people who have passed away.