Updates
An independent review of Queensland’s Human Rights Act is underway
Queensland’s Human Rights Act 2019 includes a provision requiring the operation of the Act to be independently reviewed as soon as practicable after 1 July 2023.
Professor Susan Harris Rimmer has been appointed by the Attorney-General to undertake this review of the Act. Professor Harris Rimmer is an international human rights law expert with expertise in climate justice and gender equality. You can read more about her extensive experience on the Griffith University website.
The review is independent from government and from the Commission, and will examine how effective the Act’s current provisions are and any issues which have arisen in the way the Act operates.
The review will examine the period of the Act’s operation to 30 June 2023, and is required to provide a report to the Attorney-General by 20 September 2024. You can find the Terms of Reference and other information on the review’s website.
Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC): Eight ways to strengthen the Human Rights Act
Some of the key issues the QHRC believe should be addressed to make the Act stronger and more effective in building a human rights culture in Queensland are outlined in their issues paper.
Those areas are:
- Allow people to take human rights matters to court
- Remove the override provision
- Better protect victims of violence
- Consider adding more protected rights
- Educate people about their rights and obligations
- Ensure people have a say in matters that affect them
- Strengthen human rights complaint processes
- Fund legal assistance.
Get involved:
Have your say on the review by writing a submission to the review, due by Friday, 21 June 2024. To help you get started on your submission, QCOSS has developed a submission template and guidance on how to engage with the review. Download it here.
You can also encourage your clients and service users to respond to the Independent Review Survey and share their thoughts and experiences of the Human Rights Act here.
Does your community service organisation have feedback about the Human Rights Act which you can provide to QCOSS? Or does your community service organisation intend to make a submission, and have an interest in joining our submission working group for the review? We’d love to hear from you! you can reach us at [email protected] to find out more.