Current News
Wednesday July 13th - Our World Needs the Humanities
An article in the Australian by Martha Nussbaum who will be presenting a seminar with the AHRCentre on Friday August 12 (please see events for more information)
Archived 2010
WeWednesday September 15th 2010 - Judge preferred 'soft vengeance' to forgiveness.
SMH Herald article about Albie Sachs visit to Australia for AHRCentre and the Faculty of Law Hal Wooten lecture.
Tuesday September 14th 2010 - Rainbow nation offers clues for Australia's indigenous healing.
Op Ed by Andrea Durbach for the The Age newspaper in regards to the visit by Albie Sachs to Australia for the AHRCentre and the Faculty of Law Hal Wooten lecture.
Friday August 6th 2010 - Refugee advocates argue processing asylum seekers offshore goes against Australia's international obligations by Auskar Surbakti and featuring an interview with Bassina Farbenblum.
Watch the SBS clip.
Wednesday 22nd June 2010 - IDF lawyer: the problem isn’t with international law, it’s fighting terrorism as featured on www.crikey.com
Read the article on the Crikey website.
Thursday 10th June 2010 - Acting AHRCentre Director, Justine Nolan, opinion piece appears in both the Canberra times and the The Age newspaper.
Download the article or proceed to the Age.
Thursday 3rd June 2010 - AHRCentre Director of Migrant and Refugee Rights Project - Asia Pacific, Bassina Farbenblum tackles tough questions on SBS Insight program, Stopping the Boats
Wednesday 10th April 2010 - Bassina Farbenblum, Director of the Migrants and Refugee Rights Project is quoted in Age article about Governments new Asylum seeker policy.
AHRCentre Associate Bassina Farbenblum, Director of the Migrants and Refugee Rights Project at the University of New South Wales, is quoted in the article about Primeminster Kevin Rudd's move to toughen asylum seeker laws for Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers.
'Rudd slams Asylum Door" - Age 10/04/2010
Archived News 2009
Monday 31st August 2009 - Justine Nolan, Deputy Director of the AHRCentre is profiled in 'Good Business'
Justine Nolan, Deputy Director of the AHRCentre was profiled in ‘Good Business’, the Edmund Rice newsletter on business ethics (August 2009 No. 5). In this interview she discusses the interrelationship between business and human rights and how and why corporations should be held accountable for human rights.
http://www.erc.org.au/goodbusiness/page.php?pg=0905inprofile0
Monday 27th July 2009 - Recent AHRC speaker, Judge Yvonne Mokgoro features in SMH
Judge Yvonne Mokgoro who spoke at the AHRC on Tuesday 21st July 2009 features in a Sydney Morning Herald article, South African Judge Puts Case for Court.
Tuesday 16th June 2009 - Submission to the National Human Rights Consultation Committee
Australian Human Rights Centre calls for comprehensive, progressive and enduring human rights mechanism which seeks to "prioritise individual and collective human rights over parliamentary sovereignty."
Tuesday 26th May 2009 - Corporate Responsibility 2SER interview with Justine Nolan
Justine Nolan was interviewed by Shevonne Hunt on Radio 2SER (107.3 FM) on 26 May 2009 about the corporate responsibility law suit against Shell that is currently proceeding in the US courts. The lawsuits have been filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and co-counsel from EarthRight International on behalf of relatives of murdered activists who were fighting for human rights and environmental justice in Nigeria. The lawsuits are brought against the Royal Dutch Petroleum Company and Shell Transport and Trading Company (Royal Dutch/Shell); the head of its Nigerian operation, Brian Anderson; and the Nigerian subsidiary itself, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The defendants are charged with complicity in human rights abuses against the Ogoni people in Nigeria, including summary execution, crimes against humanity, torture, inhumane treatment, arbitrary arrest, wrongful death, assault and battery, and infliction of emotional distress. The cases were brought under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and the Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA). The case against Royal Dutch/Shell also alleges that the corporation violated the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. The case was due to commence in US District Court on Monday 25 May 2009. For more information see Wiwa versus Royal Dutch Petroleum
Monday 25th May 2009 - HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY WINNER DECLARES A BILL OF RIGHTS WOULD "RAISE THE STANDARD OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN AUSTRALIA
Ravenswood Girls year 12 student, Sarah Yip, won this year's UNSW Law human rights essay competition from amongst Year 11 and 12 entrants from schools across NSW and the ACT.
In recognition of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights last year and in the context of the National Consultation on human rights protection in Australia, students were invited to address the question of whether human rights in Australia were adequately recognised and protected.
Sarah Yip Essay
Thursday 21st May 2009 - Corporate Responsibility Seminar
On 21 May 2009 the Australian Human Rights Centre and Allens Arthur Robinson cohosted a seminar on ‘Corporate Responsibility: failed rhetoric or future remedy?’. The seminar focused on whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are effective or simply detract from notions of corporate accountability. Speakers discussed the role of business in protecting human rights and the role of law in ‘regulating’ CSR initiatives. The event was held at the Sydney office of Allens Arthur Robinson and was well attended with over 70 people present.
The list of speakers and their topics are set out below.
Welcome by Ross Drinnan, Allens Arthur Robinson partner
Presenters were Vanessa Zimmerman, (UN Office of the Special Representative of business and human rights) ‘UN framework: Protect, Respect and Remedy’; Vanessa Lesnie (Australian Human Rights Commission) ‘Translating human rights for Australian businesses’; Jeremy Baskin, (University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership) Corporate Values, Societal Values, Sustainable Values”; Rachel Nicolson, (Allens Arthur Robinson) 'The value of corporate responsibility in an economic downturn; Sally Herman (Westpac) ‘Westpac’s perspective on corporate responsibility and Justine Nolan (Australian Human Rights Centre, UNSW) ‘Corporate responsibility: in search of an evil meter?’
Comment: Ed Santow (Gilbert & Tobin Centre for Public Law, UNSW)
Moderator: Andrew Byrnes (Australian Human Rights Centre, UNSW)
Lawyers weekly article
Monday 11th May 2009- The China Dilemma: Internet Censorship and Corporate Responsiblity
Justine Nolan's article The China Dilemma: Internet Censorship and Corporate Responsiblity is published in the January 2009 edition of the Asia Journal of Comparative Law.
Friday 20th February 2009- Can the UN Combat Racism? A preview of the Durban Review Conference
Andrea Durbach, AHRC Director, presented a paper at the seminar, Can the UN Combat Racism? A preview of the Durban Review Conference, held 20th February 2009
Archived News 2008
Tuesday 23rd September 2008- Stolen Generations Reparations Bill
The contribution of the Australian Human Rights Centre is acknowledged in the proposed model for a Stolen Generations Reparations Tribunal introduced to the Senate on Wednesday 24th September 2008.
Wednesday 6th August 2008 - 'Human rights only a temporary focus'
Justine Nolan, Associate Director of the AHRC and law lecturer at UNSW, is quoted in this article by Sandra OMalley for the Sydney Morning Herald. To view her article please proceed to the Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday 5th August 2008 - 'Chasing an ideal through Olympic rings of hope'
Justine Nolan, Associate Director of the AHRC and law lecturer at UNSW, has been published in the Canberra Times Editorial section. To view her article please proceed to the Canberra Times
Monday 4th August 2008 - 'Games spirit stifled under an iron fist', Justine Nolan
In an opinion piece to the Age, AHRC Deputy Director, Justine Nolan discusses the role of the Olympics in furthering human rights. To view the editorial please proceed to Age.
Thursday 24th July 2008 - 'We must stay in the racism debate', Andrea Durbach and Ben Saul
In an opinion piece to the Sydney Morning Herald, AHRC Director, Andrea Durbach and Sydney Centre for International and Global Law, Director, Ben Saul reject call for Australia to withdraw from UN World Conference on Racism. To view the editorial please proceed to SMH.
Monday 2nd June 2008 - Australian Charter of Human Rights Roundtable
ON 2 June 2008 the AHRC participated in a Roundtable organised by the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law at NSW and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission to explore issues around the development of an Australian charter of human rights. The AHRC is keen to work with other organisations to facilitate the development of a national charter of rights, with a reference to two key aspects: (1) to identify and develop possible models/frameworks for the inclusion of economic, social and cultural rights within a proposed national bill or charter and (2) to develop a considered process for national consultation which will create a forum for effective and comprehensive public engagement that allows for the development of a document which properly reflects Australian cultures, traditions, institutions and aspirations and is informed by the evolution and impact (positive and negative) of the ACT Human Rights Act and the Victorian Charter.
Monday 16th June 2008 - Inaugral International Intern, Avigail Shai leaves for Nepal to work as a Child Protection Officer with UNICEF
Avigail first worked with the AHRC as the Social Justice Intern. This internship places students in the various research and advocacy Centres in the Law Faculty, and, along with the Public Interest Internship, provides valuable exposure to a different kind of learning experience than that of the classroom.
Due to Avigails outstanding work with the Centre, th AHRC offered her the opportunity to apply for the International Internship. This internship is a 3-12 month position fully funded by the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development program.
Avigail will be taking up the position of Child Protection Officer in late June of 2008. She will be working on various law reform and child rights issues. This will be her first full time position since graduating from the Faculty of Law at UNSW.
Monday 19th May 2008 - Free Tibet (just not in the IOC’s time), Justine Nolan
Justine Nolan, Associate Director of the AHRC and law lecturer at UNSW, has been published in the Australian E-Journal of Social and Political Debate. To view her article please proceed to the Online Opinion website or download the PDF.
Monday, 21st April 2008 - HREOC release Human Rights and Climate Change
Climate change will have significant impacts in both Australia and across the globe. However, in responding to climate change, governments have traditionally approached it as an ecological problem or more recently, as an economic one.
To date the social and human rights implications have received little attention. Yet the human costs of climate change directly threaten fundamental human rights; rights to life, to food, to a place to live and work, rights that governments have an obligation to protect.Equity issues also arise in the context of climate change because of its disproportionate impact on already vulnerable people and communities.
What then, if anything, does the modern human rights discourse offer or require from governments when developing appropriate responses to the impacts of climate change? The answer, it appears, is ‘a lot’.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has produced a Background Paper titled ‘Human Rights and Climate Change’.
Part I of this paper considers the human rights dimensions of climate change. Specifically, it looks at how the rights contained in the key international instruments are threatened by the impacts of climate change.
Part II then goes on to consider what obligations are imposed on Australia, in both international and domestic law, to respond to these threats.
Part III outlines how Australia may fulfil its human rights obligations, in the context of climate change responses; arguing that a human rights-based approach is the most effective way to respond to climate change.
HREOC Link
Archived News 2007
Wednesday, 25th April 2007 - Yahoo & Human Rights Violations in China
AHRC Deputy Director Justine Nolan was interviewed for Radio Australia regarding a landmark lawsuit that has been filed against Yahoo in the district court of California, USA alleging the internet giant's practices in China have led to human rights violations. Wang Xiaoning and his wife Yu Ling filed the suit and accuse Yahoo of being directly responsible for Wang's arrest, 10 year prison sentence and alleged torture. Justine Nolan discusses the human rights responsiblities of companies like Yahoo and the legal loopholes that currently exist in the field of corporate responsiblity.
Radio National Link
Wednesday 7th March 2007 - Jurists conclude that Hicks charge was restrospective
The only remaining charge against David Hicks is retrospective according to the law Council of Australia advice authoured by Peter Vickery QC, Professor Tim McCormack, the Hon Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC, Professor Hilary Charlesworth, Gavan Griffith AO QC, Professor Andrew Byrnes (AHRC), Mr Gideon Boas, Professor Stuart Kaye and Professor Don Rothwell.
Press Release
Archived News 2006
Saturday, 11th November 2006 - David Hicks
The Hon. Philipp Ruddock, Attorney General of Australia, is warned that Australian ministers urging that David Hicks be tried by a US military commission could be guilty of a war crime, according to eminent lawyers, including a former federal solicitor-general - Ruddock warned of 'war crime' - The Age, November 11, 2006
Complete text of Hicks – Vickery et al Opinion 9 November 2006 |
