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Monthly Bulletin | October 2019
BIG WIN FOR PRIVACY / Parliamentary committee rejects facial recognition bill
Last month, we said the Morrison Government's plans to implement a facial recognition scheme endangered our rights to privacy. In welcome news, the proposed scheme has been rejected after a Parliamentary review found that it goes too far.
Our Legal Director Emily Howie says, “The proposal was dangerously overbroad, lacked basic safeguards and threatened to dramatically alter the freedom of ordinary people going about their daily lives.”
POLITICAL DONATIONS / QLD Government reforms to cut the influence of money in politics could be a game changer
The Palaszczuk Government’s announcement that it will limit political donations and spending in Queensland elections has the potential to be a game changing reform to strengthen Queensland democracy.
POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY / Andrews must act to ensure Victorians have a police force they can trust
Shocking stories of police brutality show the need for immediate action by the Andrews Government to provide Victoria’s police corruption watchdog (IBAC) the power and tools it needs to independently investigate serious police misconduct, so police are not investigating their own.
Our Legal Director Ruth Barson says, "Police should not be investigating police, it’s as simple as that."
PROTEST RIGHTS / QLD anti-protest laws pass despite glaring human rights concerns
Queensland Parliament has passed a law that criminalises peaceful protest tactics and infringes Queenslanders’ right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.
Our Lawyer Alice Drury says, “We are seeing a clear and worrying wave of laws from governments across Australia that restrict people’s ability to stand together and speak out on issues they care deeply about."
PETITION / Stand with Doctors to #SaveMedevac
Together with our key partners working on refugee rights we have launched a joint petition to #SaveMedevac, which we will take to Canberra to show politicians that we believe everyone deserves proper medical care.
In just two weeks, the Senate will vote on the Morrison Government's attempt to repeal the Medevac laws. Now is the time to stand with doctors to make sure sick people offshore can get the critical medical care they need.
NEW LEGAL DIRECTOR / David Burke to lead our refugee rights work
We’re thrilled to announce David Burke as our new Legal Director leading our work to promote the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.
David’s work has had an enormous positive impact on the lives of many people already. He has worked on refugee rights issues since 2012 – first at Refugee Legal, then through his pro bono work at Lander & Rogers and, since March last year, with us at the Human Rights Law Centre.
You can follow David on Twitter at @DavidHRLC
CASE SUMMARIES
NOTICE BOARD
2020 United Nations Universal Periodic Review
The Human Rights Law Centre, with Caxton Legal Centre & Kingsford Legal Centre, is coordinating an NGO process for Australia's human rights review in 2020.
Job: Chief Executive Officer
The Reichstein Foundation is looking for a Chief Executive Officer. Applications close 4 November.
MEDIA HIGHLIGHTS
Controlling face surveillance
Listen to Alice Drury in this in-depth interview about facial recognition technology and our right to privacy on ABC Radio National.
The automated system leaving welfare recipients cut off with nowhere to turn
Adrianne Walters spoke to The Guardian about how #Robodebt risks driving struggling families deeper into poverty.
Children in the criminal justice system
Shahleena Musk spoke to The Saturday Paper about the need to raise the age of legal responsibility so children don't get thrown behind bars.
With greater powers must come greater accountability
Whistleblowers are ordinary people who play a critical role in exposing government wrongdoing. Alice Drury writes in The Age that they should be protected, not prosecuted.
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