Abstract
SUMMARY OF MAJOR POINTS:
1. Queensland does need a Human Rights Act (HR Act). This submission advances three main arguments for this:
a. The enactment and implementation of a HR Act would improve accountability in government decision-making, which in turn has positive flow-on effects for both the economic and social well-being of Queenslanders. This is because such an enactment would enhance the ‘rule of law’ in Queensland and the rule of law is essential to effective representative government. This is particularly the case given the absence of a bill of rights in the federal constitutional framework.
b. There is a need to improve human rights protection in Queensland, particularly for vulnerable members of our society.
c. Human rights and basic constitutional literacy in Australia, including Queensland, is poor. The enactment of further human rights protections in Queensland would assist in improving human rights literacy, which, in itself, can assist in preventing the enactment of measures and making of decisions that erode human rights. This in turn will lead to an improvement in community engagement in governance.
2. This submission offers suggestions for objectives and other details related to the proposed HR Act.
3. Although this submission supports the introduction of a HR Act in Queensland, this should not be taken as support for legislative human rights protections over constitutionally entrenched protections. Rather, our submission should be read in the context that in the absence of any consideration of a constitutionally entrenched model, we support the introduction of a legislative human rights regime.
1. Queensland does need a Human Rights Act (HR Act). This submission advances three main arguments for this:
a. The enactment and implementation of a HR Act would improve accountability in government decision-making, which in turn has positive flow-on effects for both the economic and social well-being of Queenslanders. This is because such an enactment would enhance the ‘rule of law’ in Queensland and the rule of law is essential to effective representative government. This is particularly the case given the absence of a bill of rights in the federal constitutional framework.
b. There is a need to improve human rights protection in Queensland, particularly for vulnerable members of our society.
c. Human rights and basic constitutional literacy in Australia, including Queensland, is poor. The enactment of further human rights protections in Queensland would assist in improving human rights literacy, which, in itself, can assist in preventing the enactment of measures and making of decisions that erode human rights. This in turn will lead to an improvement in community engagement in governance.
2. This submission offers suggestions for objectives and other details related to the proposed HR Act.
3. Although this submission supports the introduction of a HR Act in Queensland, this should not be taken as support for legislative human rights protections over constitutionally entrenched protections. Rather, our submission should be read in the context that in the absence of any consideration of a constitutionally entrenched model, we support the introduction of a legislative human rights regime.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Type | submission |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Publication status | Published - 18 Apr 2016 |