Civil rights
Media and commentary related to our work protecting and advancing civil rights. This includes police accountability, justice in youth detention, asylum seeker rights, discrimination, access to justice and Raise the Age.
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Sydney may be hosting WorldPride but the NSW Anti-Discrimination Act is a source of shame
Forty years ago this month the then New South Wales premier, Neville Wran, introduced amendments to the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of homosexuality. This was groundbreaking, nation-leading law reform. It preceded decriminalisation of homosexuality by 18 months, making it unlawful to discriminate against gay men in employment, housing and public…
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Segregations exceeding 24 hours at Juvenile Justice centres on the rise.
New data shows segregations exceeding 24 hours in New South Wales juvenile justice centres have increased over the past year, despite ongoing pressure on authorities to limit the practice. According to the latest NSW Ombudsman’s annual report, the office received 147 segregation notifications in the 12-month reporting period; a rise of 46 per cent compared…
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2SER interview: Why UN torture inspectors suspended their Australian visit
A UN Subcommittee responsible for the prevention of torture and cruel and degrading treatment recently visited Australia to carry out inspections of places of detention, which include prisons, youth detention centres and immigration detention. Shockingly, the Subcommittee ended its visit early, saying there was lack of cooperation from Australian authorities. The delegation released a statement, saying…
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2SER interview: UN calls on Australia to act on TV accessibility
The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has found Australia has breached the rights of people who are blind and vision impaired. The finding came after disability rights advocate Lauren Henley made a complaint to the UN Committee, represented by PIAC, when the Australian Government refused to mandate any ‘audio description’ on…
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Joint statement of concern regarding suspension of UN Subcommittee on Torture visit to Australia following lack of co-operation in New South Wales and Queensland
We express profound concern that the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) has been forced to take the drastic measure of suspending its visit to Australia due to obstruction encountered while attempting to carrying out its mandate during its visit to Australia under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other…
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Statement of concern: NSW not facilitating prison inspections by UN Committee
A statement of concern from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), Community Legal Centres NSW, Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC), Amnesty International Australia, Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), First People’s Disability Network Australia (FPDNA) and Change the Record We are concerned about reports that the NSW Government is refusing to allow the visiting United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture…
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UN oversight body asked to rule on cruelty of Australian immigration detention
Leading Australian human rights advocates have asked a UN oversight body visiting Australia to rule on whether treatment of asylum seekers in Australian immigration detention amounts to cruel and degrading treatment, or even torture. The UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture arrived on Sunday 16 October to investigate whether Australia is meeting its obligations…
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“It’s the system that’s the problem”. How airlines are failing people with disability
COVID closed off air travel for most Australians but you could argue that for people with disability, it’s never really been open. From wheelchair user limits, to inconsistent policies and inaccessible public transport, the disability community is increasingly isolated and unable to participate in society. This program explores how people with disability feel about flying…
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2SER interview: Handcuffing in Australian immigration detention
PIAC’s work with people in immigration detention shows the overuse of handcuffs is preventing people in onshore immigration detention from getting medical treatment. Senior Solicitor Jonathan Hall-Spence told 2SER about our concerns and why we are raising them with the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture ahead of a visit to Australia by committee…
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UN recommends Australia legislate on audio descriptions
A seven+ year campaign to have Australian networks provide audio descriptions for the blind and vision impaired community has resulted in a United Nations committee finding Australia in breach of an international human rights treaty. The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has recommended that Australia take “the necessary legislative and policy…