Judge puts weight behind rights charter

A Victorian judge has thrown his support behind a federal charter of human rights, saying its values would create an “unstoppable moral momentum” to recognise the Aboriginal community.

In a speech to be delivered to the National Indigenous Legal Conference, Justice Kevin Bell suggested federal human rights laws could be based on the Victorian model, which was enacted in 2006.

Justice Bell, the president of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, said the Victorian charter recognised the distinct cultural rights of Aboriginal people, and their relationship with traditional land and waters. Read more in The Age