Welcome to the Human Rights Act for Australia Campaign

Australia has a huge gap in its national laws. We are the only democracy lacking a comprehensive charter or human rights act to protect basic rights such as freedom of speech, of movement, of religion, of association, the right to vote, to a fair trial, freedom from torture, freedom from detention without trial.

This gap came into sharp focus in 2005 when innocent children were detained behind barbed wire, asylum seekers were condemned to indefinite detention, a mentally ill Australian woman was jailed then held in immigration detention, another severely ill Australian citizen was deported to the Philippines, and indigenous communities were left without basic services to spiral into violence and despair.

These violations of traditional human rights by government and its agencies led readers of the online magazine New Matilda to set up a community campaign for an Australian Human Rights Act or Charter.

We prepared a draft model bill incorporating those rights long since endorsed by Australia when it ratified the major UN rights conventions.

Since October 2005, when we launched this model for public discussion, we have found supporters all over Australia and in the federal parliament.

Others equally concerned at the absence of rights protections have developed their own advocacy.

A few months ago, about 60 such organisations and more individuals joined with us to form a network, the Australian Human Rights Group (AHRG).

All members are actively pursuing better protection of human rights through a law reflecting broad community consultation and agreement.

The group shares information, ideas, and in particular real life stories of people whose rights have been violated by government action or agents of government.

As the “new matilda” group, now the Human Right Act for Australia Campaign Inc, has done since 2005, AHRG members collectively and individually have lobbied MPs, corporations, unions, churches and NGO’s to secure a national consultation as the way forward to a new law.

We have succeeded .The Rudd government is about to announce the details of the national inquiry.

The AHRG will continue to promote discussion and action aimed at encouraging everyone concerned with human rights to get involved with the inquiry.

We welcome your suggestions and questions.

Susan Ryan AO,

Human Rights Act for Australia campaign Chair

Australian Human Rights Group Chair.