The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Human Rights Subcommittee (the Subcommittee), has commenced a review of the amendments made by the Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Magnitsky-style and Other Thematic Sanctions) Act 2021.

Media release issue date: Monday, 9 December 2024

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, through the Human Rights Subcommittee (the Subcommittee), has commenced a review of the amendments made by the Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Magnitsky-style and Other Thematic Sanctions) Act 2021. Pursuant to Clause 4 of the Autonomous Sanctions Amendment (Magnitsky-style and Other Thematic Sanctions) Act 2021 the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade is required to commence a review of the operation of the amendments made by this Act as soon as possible after 8 December 2024. The Chair of the Subcommittee, Ms Maria Vamvakinou, commented, “there is a role for sanctions in applying pressure to states or individuals, with the goal of targeting the repression of human rights. The review will seek to ascertain how the operation of the amendments made by the Act, accord with Australia’s international human rights obligations’’. Submissions from interested individuals and organisations are invited by 17 January 2025. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account. Further information about the Committee’s inquiry is available on the Committee’s website. Media inquiries Office of Maria Vamvakinou MP (Member for Calwell; Chair, Human Rights Subcommittee) Ph: 0477 963 459; Email: Maria.Vamvakinou.MP@aph.gov.au. For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 2313 jscfadt@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.