Contents
President’s foreword
7
Chapter 1: Executive summary
11
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
11
32
33
34
36
Chapter 2: Context: the current Australian framework
for protecting human rights
45
2.1
2.2
2.3
What are human rights?
Patchy human rights protections
Overview of the gaps in Australia’s rights framework
45
46
49
Chapter 3: The case for a federal Human Rights Act
67
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
Principles underpinning arguments for reform and
the reform proposals
Australian
Democratic
Preventative
Protective
Effective
67
67
70
79
86
92
Model for a federal Human Rights Act
101
Chapter 4: Federal dialogue model
101
4.1
4
Overview of the Position Paper
Recommendations
Free & Equal inquiry process
Outcomes – the value of human rights
Responding to COVID-19 – a case study
Nature of dialogue models
101
Chapter 5: What rights and fundamental freedoms
should be protected in a Human Rights Act?
105
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
105
110
116
132
Introduction
List of rights for inclusion
Approach to ICESCR Rights
Approach to First Nations rights
Chapter 6: Positive duty
139
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
139
142
146
146
151
154
Introduction
Nature of the duty
Failure to comply with the duty
Scope of duty on public authorities
Courts
Implementing the duty
Chapter 7: Procedural duties
161
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
161
162
165
176
182
187
Participation duty
Why Australia needs a participation duty
Participation: International human rights law and common law
Examples from other jurisdictions
Including a participation duty in the Human Rights Act
First Nations participation