Right Time: Why We Need an Australian Charter of Human Rights

Where

When

Monday, 17 Jun 2019, 06:15pm - 07:15pm

Event Status

Past event

For this discussion, we’re bringing together three panellists – Kristen Hilton, Teela Reid and Gillian Triggs – to discuss the push for a federal Charter of Human Rights. Hosted by Lee Carnie, they’ll outline glaring problem areas in Australia’s human-rights record and make a case for legally enshrined and protected rights for all Australians.

What can we learn from the existing charters in Victoria and ACT? What real-life and practical difference would a Charter of Human Rights make for everyday Australians? And, with successive Australian governments showing a sometimes lax attitude towards our international human rights obligations, what reason is there to believe that things might be different under a charter?

Join our panellists as they discuss what we owe each other, and ourselves, in terms of protecting our fundamental rights.

Presented in partnership with the Human Rights Law Centre.

Readings will be our bookseller for this event.

This event will be Auslan interpreted.

Featuring

Featuring

Lee Carnie

Lee Carnie is a senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre advocating for equality law reform and a national Charter of Human Rights, and the Director of Legal Advocacy at Equality Australia, Australia’s first national LGBTIQ+ legal advocacy and campaigning organisation. They are dedicated to ta... Read more

@LeeJCarnie

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Gillian Triggs

Gillian Triggs is former President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and the new Chair of Justice Connect, a non-profit dedicated to connecting people locked out of the justice system with free legal help. She is also Vice Chancellor’s Fellow at the University of Melbourne and Vice Presid... Read more

@GillianTriggs

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Teela Reid

Teela Reid is a proud Wiradjuri and Wailwan woman and lawyer. She has experience practicing in criminal, civil and administrative law. She was born and raised in Gilgandra western NSW and come from a family of advocates in the NSW Land rights movement. Teela was involved as a working group leader on... Read more

@teelareid

Kristen Hilton

Kristen Hilton commenced her role as Victoria’s Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner on 1 June 2016. In this role, Kristen leads a strategic and high impact policy agenda in support of organisational priorities through public interest litigation and other advocacystrategies. Prior to he... Read more

@kristenahilton