Human rights laws in Australia

Australia has a variety of Human Rights laws and frameworks that expressly provide for rights protection and provide domestic avenues for the resolution of disputes that involve peoples human rights, these were predominantly dealt with under non-human rights specific laws and, on occasion, referred to unenforceable international fora for dispute resolution. This unit focuses on the history, development and impacts of the current Human Rights Acts at State level and now proposed for the Federal jurisdiction in Australia.

Students undertaking this unit will study the theoretical and operational frameworks of Charters and Human Rights Acts within the Victorian, Australian and comparative settings. The unit will consider the different structures and mechanisms employed by comparative human rights instruments, and the impact these differences have on the relevance of those instruments to Australian Human Rights Acts

You will comprehensively and critically explore the scope of the rights, the powers to place restrictions on rights, the impact of the Acts on the development and interpretation of legislation, the impact of the Acts on public authorities, and the complex relationships that are established between various entities under the Acts. The analytical approach to the material will enable you to contribute to debate about reform of the State Acts and the proposals for the Federal Act.

The unit will also develop various skills of students, including statutory interpretation and jurisprudence and legal analysis.

This unit will appeal to those with an interest in human rights law, constitutional law, administrative law, government law, social justice and law reform.