Articles
Among national bills of rights, the South African Bill of Rights is widely regarded as the most comprehensive, featuring economic and social rights as well as civil and political rights.
Professor Hilary Charlesworth has written a definitive review of the history of human rights in Australia and why we should have one now. The article, acknowledging our unique situation of not having a bill of rights, is entitled "A bill of rights - an end to our solitude ".
Professor George Williams led the development of the Victorian Charter of Rights and Responsbilities. Focusing on the Australian anti-terror legislation, he wrote an article for the Sydney Morning Herald entitled " Liberties rest in the hands of the vigilant".
Alex Bowman (a Nom de Plume) wrote an article in 2007 entitled "The hidden artefact of the 1967 Referendum: a tragedy of significance and a serious violation of inalienable human rights" that is particularly relevant considering 2007 was the 40th anniversary of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders being given the right to vote.
The Dr Mohamed Haneef case was a perfect example of how legislation that unfairly limits an individual's human rights can be misused. A speech by Jeff Brunne on human rights day 2007 was an invitation to the incoming government of Kevin Rudd to safeguard human rights in the midst of the "War on Terror".
