People of great courage: the battle to stop state-sanctioned, pre-meditated killing

Barrister Julian McMahon is best known for his work with Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran. These Australians were two of eight people executed on an…

What will the UN torture treaty mean for Australia?

Australia will ratify the UN’s Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by December 2017 and…

The profession’s global voice comes to Sydney

As the International Bar Association prepares to hold its annual conference in Sydney in October 2017, IBA President Martin Solc and Deputy Executive Director Tim…

Human rights in South Africa, two decades after democracy

Progress has been made but much is yet to be done 20 years after historic changes in South Africa.

Ambassadors for abolition: ending the death penalty in our region

3 February 2017 marked 50 years since the last person was executed in Australia. Since then the Australian Government’s commitment to the abolition of the…

The AHRC and the Racial Discrimination Act: setting the record straight

Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Southphommasane says there is a need for clearer public understanding of the Race Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). By TIM SOUTHPHOMMASANE.

Will President Duterte face court for his bloody war on drugs?

Although the death toll in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” has risen to above 3,600 since 1 July, a possible trial of President…

Child marriage in India: legal challenges of a social issue

Child marriage has been illegal in India since 1929, with the legal age of marriage 18 years for women and 21 for men. In Uttarakhand, India,…

Leading the change

Social justice advocate Mariam Zamiri Veiszadeh uses social media to fight Islamophobia. She talks about how September 11 changed her life – and why she…

An emergent duty of care owed by Australia to asylum seekers?

The Minister for Immigration owed a duty of care to a refugee at Papua New Guinea by reason of the salient features listed in Stavar:…