As a part of this, the Victorian Government is considering introducing a Human Rights Charter. The Government appointed a Human Rights Consultation Committee to consult with the community on how best to protect and promote human rights in Victoria. The consultation will end on 30 November 2024 when the Consultation Committee reports to the Attorney General.

PILCH has made a submission to the Consultation Committee. The PILCH submission argues that there must be an obligation on all governments to ensure that their citizens are empowered to live lives of value and dignity. Currently, the rights of individuals living in Victoria are only haphazardly protected through an incomplete patchwork of limited Commonwealth constitutional guarantees, Victorian legislative enactments and common law principles and presumptions.

The HPLC has also made a submission to the committee.

PILCH presented a forum on the consultation process on Thursday 23 June 2005, please click here for PILCH's slide presentation.

Victoria to enact a human rights charter

PILCH welcomes the Victorian Attorney-General's announcement that the Victorian Government will enact a charter of rights in the 2006. This move, announced today, is in line with the central recommendation of an independent Committee appointed to examine the need for human rights laws in Victoria. The Victorian Attorney-General, the Honourable Rob Hulls MP, established the Human Rights Consultation Committee earlier this year to consult with the Victorian community about the protection of human rights. Launching the Committee's report today, Mr Hulls said the Government would examine its recommendations and finalise the detail of legislation in the new year.

According to the Committee, chaired by Professor George Williams, Victorians were keen to have their say about human rights, with the Committee receiving an unprecedented 2524 written submissions over the six month consultation period. Overall, 84 per cent of the submissions expressed a desire to see the law changed to better protect human rights.

Despite many recommendations that the charter include economic and social rights, relating to matters such as food, education and housing, the Committee has recommended the charter be limited to protect only the rights contained within the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. However, this should be viewed in light of the recommendation that the charter include a mechanism for review and change.

Mr Hulls described the charter as 'a commonsense move that will simplify our laws and bring together our human rights in one piece of legislation'.  

In releasing the Committee's report, titled Rights Responsibilities and Respect: The Report of the Human Rights Consultation Committee, Mr Hulls said the Government expected to finalise the legislation in the next few months. 'These rights are currently either unprotected or scattered across the statute books haphazardly... A charter of human rights and responsibilities will strengthen and support Victoria's democratic system,' he said.

For a copy of the Committee's Report or a summary of the Report, please go to www.justice.vic.gov.au/humanrights.

Human rights consultation feedback

The Department of Justice welcomes written feedback to Rights Responsibilities and Respect: The Report of the Human Rights Consultation Committee (link above). Feedback can be submitted until 25 January 2006. Feedback can be addressed to:

Michelle Burrell

Human Rights Project Manager

Department of Justice

55 St Andrews Place

Melbourne Vic 3001