One of the outcomes of the 21st Summit of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh, was the adoption of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration by the ten member states. It has been…
The stories of real people are often missing from media reports on asylum seeker detention centres.
AAP
Greater transparency and improved access for the media to interview asylum seekers in detention is required say human rights lawyers, after three separate incidents of self-harm at the Nauru processing…
While FGC is common in Africa, the practice is illegal in many Western countries.
Flickr/tlupic
Female genital cutting (FGC) – also known as female genital mutilation (FGM) or female circumcision – is widely practised in Africa and has been described by UNICEF “one of the worst violations of the…
Infant male circumcision violates aspects of international human rights law, which Australia is bound to uphold.
Chris Woods
In an article published recently on this site, “Male circumcision policy ignores research showing benefits”, the authors stated some alleged benefits of infant male circumcision and argued the Royal Australasian…
Was Tony Abbott’s speech to the IPA a preview of the kind of government he and shadow Attorney General George Brandis will operate?
AAP/Mick Tsivakis
As politics heightens in the decreasing count down to the 2013 Federal election, the opposition is laying its cards on the table. Always on the cards since the Institute for Public Affairs, a right-wing…
Commodore Frank Bainimarama could learn a lot from China about quashing human rights.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Yesterday’s rapprochement between Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, with the re-establishment of diplomatic ties at High Commissioner level, needs to be seen in the context of other recent events in Fiji’s…
Universities such as Yale need to respect the human rights of their staff and students.
Flickr/Snap Man
Yale university’s decision to set up a liberal arts college at the National University of Singapore (NUS) while accepting Singapore’s restrictions on students’ rights to free speech and freedom of association…
The focus on human rights during the Beijing Olympics made little difference.
Akira Liwang/EPA
When we think of the Olympic Games, we think of an athletic event: well-honed bodies at the peak of physical ability, performing feats most of us can only dream of. But, despite fervent assertions to the…
Western Governments will be recklessly ignoring their human rights obligations if they continue to support Shell in its US supreme court case.
EPA/George Esiri
We all know corporations do bad things. Big corporates have been publicly named and shamed for their participation in causing harm to people and the planet, and they are not always held to account. As…
Lindy Chamberlain-Creighton holds up Azaria’s death certificate, confirming her daughter’s death by dingo attack.
AAP/Patrina Malone
The Azaria Chamberlain case is a reminder that the criminal justice system does get it wrong, with each error bearing its own human cost. On Tuesday, the Northern Territory Coroner’s office concluded an…
Does Anders Breivik deserve friends? The Norwegian justice system thinks so. It is often said that the humanity of a society can be judged by the way it treats its most disadvantaged citizens, even those…
Gaddafi’s son may not get a fair trial in Libya.
EPA/Mast Irham
The Government of Libya filed an application before the International Criminal Court earlier this month to challenge the admissibility of the cases against Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, Muammar Gaddafi’s son…
There isn’t much sympathy for convicted Australian drug smugglers in Indonesia.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Schapelle Corby’s fate may be the centre of public attention in Australia, but not here in Indonesia where I currently live and work. The hot topic here for the past few days has been whether or not Lady…
How young is too young to be prosecuted or convicted of a crime?
Flickr/Chris Runoff
The age of criminal responsibility acts as the gateway to the criminal justice system – under a certain age you are kept out. Most jurisdictions have this age barrier because it’s widely understood children…
Finally children’s rights will be represented at the national level in Australia.
Flickr/vastateparksstaff
A national Children’s Commissioner to champion the rights of Australia’s young people was announced last week by the Gillard government. The long overdue announcement is a welcome development and should…
Refugees can be detained indefinitely if they do not pass security clearance.
AAP/Mick Tsikas
Last night, Lateline reported on a five-year-old refugee who faced the prospect of being separated from his father forever. His father had failed an ASIO security assessment, which under current policies…
Discrimination on the basis of irrelevant criminal records is rife in Australia.
Flickr/Waponi
Applying for a job is stressful enough, but if you have a criminal record, even if it’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for, it can be a nightmare. Employers in Australia regularly discriminate…
Jose Maria Vasconcelos (or Taur Matan Ruak) is the new president of East Timor, but will he do more for the women in his country?
AAP/Antonio Dasiparu
The recent election of José Maria de Vasconcelos, or Taur Matan Ruak as he is known, to the Presidency of Timor-Leste is not good news for women in that country. Adding yet another member of the male military…
Intellectually disabled children who undergo the “Ashley procedure” are stunted to prevent the onset of puberty.
flickr/visions by vicky
A growing number of parents are seeking the “Ashley Treatment,” a highly experimental medical intervention designed to arrest the physical and sexual development of severely disabled children. This invasive…
The government’s obligations to immigration detainees are very similar to those of prisoners.
AAP/Dean Lewins
A training manual instructing immigration detention centre guards to use force to incapacitate detainees was leaked this week. It included techniques to kick, punch and target pressure points on detainees…