Liberty Victoria welcomes Court decision concerning the Biloela Family

Liberty Victoria welcomes the decision handed down by the Full Federal Court today concerning the Biloela family. A unanimous Full Federal Court has upheld the earlier decision of the Honourable Justice Moshinsky that the Minister for Home Affairs denied the youngest child of the Biloela family procedural fairness in the assessment of whether she engaged Australia’s international non-refoulement obligations.

Review of the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Act 2018 (Cth)

The ability of charity groups and non-government advocacy bodies to freely speak on political issues is therefore a key component of a healthy democracy. In this submission, Liberty Victoria discourages proposed changes to electoral laws to reduce the threshold for political campaigners from the current $500,000 threshold to $100,000. 

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Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual Offences

Read our submission to the @VLRC inquiry into Improving the Response of the Justice System to Sexual Offences. Liberty Victoria calls for careful rights-based reform and the introduction of a restorative justice model for suitable matters. “A restorative justice model has the potential to have a long-lasting and wide-reaching impact on criminal justice in Victoria, and improving outcomes for victim-survivors.”

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

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 Ombudsmans Report into the Public Housing Hard Lockdown

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.”

Liberty Victoria welcomes bill to prohibit conversion practices

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.

Hannah Dickinson

Policy Committee
Management Committee

Rochelle Francis

Member and Chair of Rights Advocacy Project
Policy Committee
Rights Advocacy Project

Press Release - Liberty Victoria - The time has come for responsible, peaceful and socially distanced protest activity to be lawful in the State of Victoria.

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:

Liberty Victoria - The proposal to reduce jury sizes from 12 to 8 is wrong and should not be implemented.

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.

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