Lawyer body slams PM, calls for human rights act

The Prime Minister’s recent criticism of human rights lawyers has reaffirmed the need for the introduction of an Australian human rights act, a lawyer’s lobby group has said.

Stefanie Garber • 14 April 2015 • SME Law

Last week Prime Minister Tony Abbott said only the Coalition had sufficiently tough border policies and any other government would have “succumbed to the cries of human rights lawyers” on the issue of refugees.

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Australian Lawyers for Human Rights president Nathan Kennedy called the comment “very concerning” and objected to the concept that governments could choose whether or not to adhere to human rights.

“Human rights are not some external imposition unwillingly ‘succumbed’ to by governments, but world’s best practice for protection of individual rights,” Mr Kennedy said.

“The Prime Minister’s comment shows, at best, ignorance of the contribution to peace, security and personal liberties made by international human rights conventions and, at worst, a wholesale disregard for an entire body of international law and the many talented people who have devoted their lives to the realisation of human rights for all peoples."

He suggested the comments highlighted the need for a Human Rights Act in Australia.

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“Where an administration seeks to sidestep human rights standards in order to fulfil its political or economic program, alarm bells ring loudly,” Mr Kennedy said. “Such action attacks not just law, but also the entire basis of our society, the manner in which the individual is regarded and treated.

“An Australian Human Rights Act would protect those who are most vulnerable when governments chose to turn their backs on long-established legal principles that, until recent years, have been a curb on the excesses of government.”

He also warned the protection of individual rights was at the root of Australian society.

“The ultimate purpose of democratic law is the protection of the rights of the individual,” he said.

“Our entire social structure is based on the protection of individual rights through criminal, civil, administrative and business law. Take away the rule of law and the whole structure collapses.”

Victoria and the ACT are the only jurisdictions in Australia to have introduced a charter protecting human rights on a local level.

Richard Saturday, 25 April 2015

Australia is very lucky not to have gone the way of Europe and Britain. It's not too late for us. We have a cap on our immigration and skilled migration policies to stop the country from being over run completely. You should see how many problems countries like Belgium have now because of their lax border policies. Policies which were implemented by the EU or as otherwise known the "EUSSR" centralized socialist government. It will only get worse before it get's better for Europe.If the lefties here had their way they would turn this country completely into a third world country much like the way some European countries are headed. Thank fully Abbott and his government are trying their best to stop this from happening.

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Nick Saturday, 25 April 2015

ya think? LW is one of the biggest Marxist joke of a newspaper I have ever seen.

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Ben Friday, 24 April 2015

You, Red Neck, clearly don't understand how a constitutional democracy works.

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Red Neck Friday, 17 April 2015

You clearly overestimate the evil of money and underestimate the power of stupidity.

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ERB Thursday, 16 April 2015

What law are you talking about?

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ERB Thursday, 16 April 2015

Actually we have the Bill of Rights 1690. See the Wooltops case.

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Absurdiness Brown Wednesday, 15 April 2015

There's really no end to the creativity of dressing up the same old sheep in a young lamb's wool.That didn't make sense but then neither does much of what I write, and presumably much of what Mr Kennedy writes as well.What we have heard for the asylum issues from both sides (and I do sit on one side myself) is a lot of anti-intellectual rubbish.The term "Asylum seeker" is really as nonsensical as "illegal boat arrival".It has been shown that some aren't seeking asylum until they are told about it. They are seeking jobs. Some decide to change their religion after they arrive in Australia, apparently only coincidentally to the fact that it may assist their claims.Once upon a time lawyers used to worry about facts. And about credit. But it's all jargon and politics. Where there is a potential case (before judgment) it's all 'the Government has acted illegally'. When the judgment comes down against the applicant, it's all 'you have a moral obligation' or some other hogwash. So anything will do.That Australia has been played for a mug for years is something that some parties just can't come to grips with. Perhaps they should work inside immigration for a few years.

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RareVoltaire Wednesday, 15 April 2015

Clearly, our fearless leader thinks that Human Rights are a 'lifestyle choice'.AS for the last thing we need is a HR Charter (maybe they meant "the last thing we get... is a HR Act"?) and the common law will save us, well, we are the last one. The last democratic nation on the face of the earth to get a Bill of Rights. The L-A-S-T. Just saying people...All those other developed, sophisticated global players thought it was necessary, but we think they are ALL wrong.Anyway the reason we can't get greater legal support for a Bill of Rights in Australia is OBVIOUSLY all the good lawyers are overseas eliciting monumental fees that are derived from all those other foolish countries with HR Charters that are keeping our legal colleagues in the comfort to which they've become so richly accustomed...

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Hadyn Tuesday, 14 April 2015

The common law and democracy have been the corner stone of human rights for hundreds of years. We don't need invented rights and bureaucrats or tribunals usurping the role of parliament to protect us.

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rumpole. Tuesday, 14 April 2015

The last thing we need is a human rights act We have enough protections now.the only reason lawyers are peddling it as a new source of legal fees.

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