This Group covers a broad range of civil liberties and human rights issues, focussing on those that don’t naturally fall within the other groups. Priority areas in the last few years have included: a Human Rights Act for NSW, along with the ongoing campaign for an Australian Charter of Rights; climate justice; LGBTIQ+ rights, women’s rights; anti-discrimination law; freedom of expression; and achieving better and more democratic governance through balanced and effective anti-corruption bodies and reform of the framework for delegated legislation.
We also track Australia's human rights violations.
A current focus area is our right to protest
Submission: Inquiry into the use of cannabis for medical purposes
NSWCCL has made a submission to the NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee no. 4's inquiry into the use of cannabis for medical purposes.
"The NSW Council for Civil Liberties considers that drug use should be addressed as a health issue, not a legal issue.
The use of cannabis for medical purposes should be decriminalised to allow its use if medically qualified people consider that it has health benefits.
The Committee should recommend that a trial of medical cannabis be commenced as soon as practicable."
Submission: Inquiry into the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
NSWCCL has made a submission to the inquiry into the Exposure Draft of the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012
NSWCCL supports Australia’s continuing commitment to international human rights instruments, and regards the consolidation of legislation within this Bill as an attempt to meet such obligations.
NSWCCL notes that the operation of the legislation will allow exceptions within areas such as social security, migration and marriage policy. Discrimination in these areas is as arbitrary as anywhere else. NSWCCL opposes these exceptions.
Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee concerning the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010 - April 2012
NSWCCL has made a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee concerning the Marriage Equality Amendment Bill 2010
The submission argues that it is the best interests of society to allow the marriage of same sex couples, and that the current situation causes harm by perpetuating existing prejudices. It is also fundamentally unjust to provide the many benefits of marriage to heterosexual couples, while denying them to same sex couples without any reasonable cause.
Submission: Inquiry on Education Amendment (Ethics) Act 2010
NSWCCL considers the introduction of secular Ethics Classes as an alternative to Special Religious Education (SRE) classes in 2010 to have been an important reform, going some way towards providing parents and children in public schools with long denied, secular options to faith based SRE classes. We are therefore, strongly opposed to the Education Amendment (Ethics Classes Repeal) Bill 2011. It aims to reverse this reform and reinstate the discriminatory denial of any alternative educational activity for children choosing not to attend faith based SRE classes: a truly anomalous denial of rights in public schools which are otherwise required by legislation to provide ‘strictly non-sectarian and secular instruction.
Submission on Australia’s Fifth Report under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) - November 2011
NSWCCL has made a submission on Australia’s Fifth Report under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).
NSWCCL endorses the proposed actions contained in the CAT report, and additionally calls for special attention on the issues of the treatment of incarcerated persons with mental illness/cognitive impairment and the effects of long term immigration detention.
Submission: Australia’s Fifth Report under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)
NSWCCL endorses the proposed actions contained in the CAT report, and additionally calls for special attention on the issues of the treatment of incarcerated persons with mental illness/cognitive impairment and the effects of long term immigration detention.
