ࡱ> >@=5@  bjbj22 .2XXfffffffz $ zn        """"""$!Ra#Ff   Fff  [   "f f    ( X|ff  PQ$G : q0# #$zzffff#f< 0> " ` |    FFzz^ d zz^ RESPONSE TO CHARTER OF RIGHTS DISCUSSION PAPER Philip Lynch Coordinator Homeless Persons Legal Clinic Public Interest Law Clearing House projects.pilch@vicbar.com.au The Charter of Rights should recognise the right to an adequate standard of living, including the right to adequate housing. The right to adequate housing, recognised by article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), requires that Australian governments devote the maximum of available resources towards progressively ensuring that all people have somewhere to live in security, peace and dignity. Adequacy of housing is determined having regard to: legal security of tenure; availability of services, materials, facilities and infrastructure; affordability; habitability; accessibility; location and cultural adequacy. By way of Preamble, the Charter of Rights should recognise Australias obligations in relation to realisation of the right to adequate housing. The Charter of Rights should enshrine a right of access to SAAP services. International human rights law also requires that, even while Australia is progressing towards full realisation of the right to adequate housing, it must ensure that core minimum standards are met, including by providing sufficient emergency accommodation to ensure that all people in need of such accommodation can access it as of right. SAAP needs to be seen within this framework (ie, part of the minimum core obligation imposed by article 11(1) of the ICESCR to provide basic housing, which cannot be derogated from other than in the most exceptional of circumstances). A right of access to SAAP services should import: An obligation on government, enforceable by both service providers and service users, to ensure sufficient funding to meet demand; An obligation on service providers, enforceable by service users, to provide access, or to make an appropriate, supported referral; An obligation on service providers, enforceable by service users, not to evict or discharge a person into homelessness; and An obligation on service providers, enforceable by service users, to assist a person from SAAP services into adequate housing. Breach of any of these obligations should give rise to a right to make a complaint and to obtain a suitable remedy. The Charter of Rights should enshrine service user rights. Drawing on fundamental principles of international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the ICESCR, the Charter of Rights should incorporate service user rights (ie, the rights of service users vis--vis service providers), including: The right to participation (articles 19 and 25 of the ICCPR); The right to freedom of expression (articles 19 and 25 of the ICCPR); The right to equality and freedom from discrimination (article 2(2) of the ICESCR and articles 2(1) and 26 of the ICCPR); The right to security of the person (articles 6 and 9 of the ICCPR); The right to health (article 12 of the ICESCR); The right to privacy (article 17 of the ICCPR); The right to freedom of association (article 22 of the ICCPR); The right to freedom of movement (article 12 of the ICCPR); The right to be treated with dignity and respect.(article 10 of the ICCPR); and The right to a fair hearing and an effective remedy in the case of violation of rights (articles 2(3) and 14 of the ICCPR). The Charter of Rights should be enacted in legislation and enforceable by a complaints body overseen by a court of law. The Charter of Rights should be enacted in legislation and should be accompanied by an independent and impartial statutory office of the Homeless Persons Commissioner to initiate investigations, undertake inquiries, receive and consider complaints, make determinations, and make such orders as are necessary to remedy violations of homeless peoples human rights and dignity. The Commissioner would report directly to Parliament and should also promote and protect the rights and interests of homeless people, assist homelessness service providers to achieve best practice standards, and advise governments as to the further promotion and protection of the human rights of people experiencing homelessness. When undertaking inquiries, considering complaints and making determinations, a homeless persons complaints mechanism must include the following key features in accordance with articles 2(3) and 14 of the ICCPR: the complaints body must afford complainants the right to make complaints, give evidence and make submissions orally or in writing; the complaints body must afford complainants a right of access to legal or other representation or advocacy at no cost; the complaints body must use language and procedures that are easy to understand and as user-friendly as possible; the complaints body must afford a right of access to an interpreter at no cost; the complaints body must be independent and impartial; the complaints body must ensure that all complainants have a fair hearing; hearings must be conducted in accordance with the requirements of natural justice; hearings must be conducted in such a way as to permit the ascertainment of the facts as they are and as they bear on the right in issue; where requested, the complaints body must give reasons for its decisions; and decisions of the complaints body must be binding and subject to review in a court of law. Enforcement of the Charter of Rights requires zealous advocacy. Given the disadvantage and marginalisation confronted by many people experiencing homelessness, Commonwealth and state governments should provide funds to establish an independent service, or to extend the service of an existing body, to carry out the functions of: providing advocacy services for SAAP service users; providing casework planning and support for services users; providing education and training in user rights for SAAP service users and service providers; providing information and advice to SAAP service users; and undertaking research and, on the basis of the research, advocacy for appropriate policy and law reform. 29 January 2025   /012( j k l K }k]N]}]= hc_hc_CJOJQJ^JaJhc_6CJOJQJ^JaJhc_CJOJQJ^JaJ#hT@h96CJOJQJ^JaJ hT@h9CJOJQJ^JaJ&hT@h956CJOJQJ^JaJ hT@h{CJOJQJ^JaJh{CJOJQJ^JaJh CJOJQJ^JaJ#h h*5CJOJQJ^JaJh{5CJOJQJ^JaJh 5CJOJQJ^JaJ12( l L ) l!!R{ & Fd8dgdT@ d8dgdR & Fd8dgdR $d8da$gd{ d8dgd9 $d8da$gd  K L ( )  klRʶޥwޥi޶iwWF hc_hc_CJOJQJ^JaJ#hc_hc_6CJOJQJ^JaJhT@CJOJQJ^JaJhc_6CJOJQJ^JaJ hT@hc_CJOJQJ^JaJhc_CJOJQJ^JaJ hT@hRCJOJQJ^JaJ&hT@hR56CJOJQJ^JaJ&hT@h956CJOJQJ^JaJ hT@h9CJOJQJ^JaJ hc_h9CJOJQJ^JaJz{4JPqvwAUZ[}^cghi򔥃 hT@56CJOJQJ^JaJ hT@hc_CJOJQJ^JaJhRCJOJQJ^JaJhT@CJOJQJ^JaJ hc_hT@CJOJQJ^JaJ hc_hc_CJOJQJ^JaJhc_6CJOJQJ^JaJhc_CJOJQJ^JaJ3y]hi{>uF  & F gdT@^gdT@ d8dgdT@ d8dgd9 & Fd8dgdT@Hx}EG^_    ÿѿѿÿÿñ h h{CJOJQJ^JaJh{CJOJQJ^JaJhT@CJOJQJ^JaJh hh&yhT@ hT@56hT@ hc_6hc_ hT@hT@hT@CJOJQJ^JhT@hT@CJOJQJ^JFG_    d8dgd9 & Fgd ^gd ^gdT@ ,1h. A!"#$% @@@ NormalCJ_HaJmH sH tH DA@D Default Paragraph FontRi@R  Table Normal4 l4a (k@(No ListH@H *TOC 1h5;OJPJQJ\^JtH H@H *TOC 25CJOJPJQJ\aJtH \@\ T@ Normal Indentd8d^CJOJQJaJtH @B@"@ T@ Body Textdh aJmH sH 212(lL)l!!  R { y  ] h i {>uFG_0000p0000p0000 0 0 0 00000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000 0 0 0 0 0000@0<@> 0< 0K  F  42Lw%2B*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagscountry-region9*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsplace8*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsdate 1200429DayMonthYear2 4 173333userAH$()hg9΁%Z\7dd6fw&chhh^h`OJQJo(hHh88^8`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh  ^ `OJQJo(hHh  ^ `OJQJ^Jo(hHohxx^x`OJQJo(hHhHH^H`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHhpp^p`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHhPP^P`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh  ^ `OJQJo(hHhhh^h`OJQJo(hHh88^8`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh  ^ `OJQJo(hHh  ^ `OJQJ^Jo(hHohxx^x`OJQJo(hHhHH^H`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh  ^ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh{{^{`OJQJo(hHhKK^K`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohpp^p`OJQJo(hHh@ @ ^@ `OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHoh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJo(hHh^`OJQJ^Jo(hHohPP^P`OJQJo(hHfwd%Z$()Ag9                                                       c_T@{6#9R*2!0@6P@UnknownGz Times New Roman5Symbol3& z Arial;SimSun[SO?5 z Courier New;Wingdings"qh|&끆 + +!24   3qH)?*.RESPONSE TO CHARTER OF RIGHTS DISCUSSION PAPERuseruser$      Oh+'0 (4 P \ ht|/RESPONSE TO CHARTER OF RIGHTS DISCUSSION PAPER1ESPuserNSEserser Normal.dot userl.d3erMicrosoft Word 10.0@x@[?@=՜.+,0 hp|  N+  A /RESPONSE TO CHARTER OF RIGHTS DISCUSSION PAPER Title  !"#$%&'()*+,./012346789:;<?Root Entry F^'GA1Table$WordDocument.2SummaryInformation(-DocumentSummaryInformation85CompObjj  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89q