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Executive Summary

This report provides the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights' view on the compatibility with human rights as defined in the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 of bills introduced into the Parliament during the period 24 to 27 March 2014 and legislative instruments received during the period 8 March to 25 April 2014. The committee has also considered responses to the committee's comments made in previous reports.

Bills introduced 24 to 27 March 2014

The committee considered 18 bills, all of which were introduced with a statement of compatibility. Of these 18 bills, eight do not require further scrutiny as they do not appear to give rise to human rights concerns. The committee has decided to defer its consideration of three bills and further defer an additional three bills introduced in previous weeks.

The committee has identified eights bills that it considers require further examination and for which it will seek further information. This includes one bill which the committee had deferred consideration of in its Fifth Report of the 44th Parliament.

Of the bills considered, those which are scheduled for debate during the sitting week commencing 13 May 2014 include:

• G20 (Safety and Security) Complementary Bill 2014;
• Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Bill 2014; and
• Tax Laws Amendment (2014 Measures No. 1) Bill 2014.

Legislative instruments received between 8 March 2014 and 25 April 2014

The committee considered 175 legislative instruments received between 8 March and 25 April 2014. The full list of instruments scrutinised by the committee can be found in Appendix 1 to this report.

Of these 175 instruments, 173 do not appear to raise any human rights concerns and all are accompanied by statements of compatibility that are adequate. A further two instruments do not appear to raise any human rights concerns but are not accompanied by statements of compatibility that fully meet the committee's expectations. As the instruments do not appear to raise human rights compatibility concerns, the committee has written to the relevant minister in a purely advisory capacity.

Responses

The committee has considered ten responses relating to matters raised in relation to bills and legislative instruments in previous reports. The committee has concluded its examination relating to two bills and eight instruments.

Senator Dean Smith
Chair

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