5. Enhancing the role of Parliament in protecting human rights 5. Enhancing the role of Parliament in protecting human rights 5.1 Overview This chapter includes a set of reforms that focus on strengthening the role of Parliament in protecting human rights. The Commission proposes reforms that would enhance the effectiveness of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights and the associated process for analysing the human rights impact of proposed laws and regulations; and enhance parliamentary oversight of decision-making in relation to the scope of Australia’s international human rights obligations, and actions to be taken to respond to breaches of our international human rights obligations. This chapter sets out actions to: • publicise and consider the findings of periodic reviews by UN treaty committees • respond to complaints that have been considered by human rights committees • a more systemic approach to the role of Parliament in considering the appropriateness of the scope of Australia’s human rights obligations – such as through consideration of taking on new UN treaty obligations (through the ratification process) and the reducing of ‘exceptions’ to our existing obligations (through reservations and interpretative statements). FREE & EQUAL: Revitalising Australia’s Commitment to Human Rights 99