Liberty Victoria Calls on Government to find COVID-safe ways for Protest Activity

Liberty Victoria is disappointed in the Premier’s reported comments this week that now is not the time to be protesting. Freedom of expression, the right of peaceful assembly and freedom of association are fundamental human rights protected by the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities. Those rights are also fundamental to a healthy democracy.

Liberty Victoria welcomes today’s Ombudsman’s Report into the public housing ‘hard lockdown’ in July of this year.

As the Ombudsman said in her report, “[i]n a just society, human rights are not a convention to be ignored during a crisis, but a framework for how we will treat and be treated as the crisis unfolds.”

Victoria can be a place where sexually and gender diverse Victorians can grow up feeling accepted, supported and loved. 

The Victorian Government’s Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill 2020 is a very welcome human rights measure. Liberty Victoria applauds this important initiative, and calls on all members of Parliament to support its prompt passage.

The time has come for it to be made clear that responsible, peaceful and socially distanced protest activity is lawful in the State of Victoria.

Liberty Victoria is very concerned by the recent arrests and issuing of infringement notices for persons engaged in protest activity. This includes:

The proposal reported on in the media that there was consideration to reduce jury sizes from 12 to 8 is wrong and should not be implemented. Rather than rush through such a fundamental change to a core institution of our criminal justice system the Parliament ought to introduce practical measures which will significantly increase the number of cases which can be dealt with, without interfering with established rights of citizens.

Liberty Victoria is very concerned about the new powers sought to be introduced by the COVID‑19 (Emergency Measures) Bill.

In particular, we are concerned about how the new powers of what seems to be preventative detention will affect vulnerable people. We have previously publicly discussed these concerns in the media.  

Liberty Victoria is deeply concerned by reports that some of the extraordinary measures introduced by the Government, and in particular the imposition of a curfew, were not made on the considered advice of public health officials and Victoria Police.