Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010 [Provisions] and Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2010 [Provisions]
Information about the Inquiry
On 30 September 2010 the Senate jointly referred the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2010 and the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Bill 2010 for inquiry and report.
Together, the two Bills seek to implement the legislative elements of Australia's Human Rights Framework announced by the Government in April 2010. The framework outlines a range of measures to protect and promote human rights in Australia, and reflects the key recommendations of the report of the National Human Rights Consultation Committee (30 September 2009).
The main Bill will establish the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights (the Committee) and set out the functions and administrative arrangements for the Committee. The Committee will examine Acts, Bills for Acts and legislative instruments for compatibility with Australia's human rights obligations, and report to both houses of Parliament. It will also inquire into, and report to Parliament, on matters relating to human rights referred to it by the Attorney-General.
The consequential Bill contains amendments that arise as a consequence of the main Bill and other matters, including amendments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 and the Legislative Instruments Act 2003.
The original reporting date for this inquiry was 23 November 2010. However, on 17 November 2010, the Senate granted an extension of time to report until 7 December 2010.
On 7 December 2010, the committee presented an interim report in which it indicated that additional time was required to consider the evidence presented during the course of the inquiry, and that the committee intended to present its final report by 28 January 2011.
Submissions should be received by 27 October 2010.
The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.
Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:
Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committees
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia
Notes to help you prepare your submission are available from the website at https://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm. Alternatively, the Committee Secretariat will be able to help you with your inquiries and can be contacted on telephone +61 2 6277 3560 or facsimile +61 2 6277 5794 or by email to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au.
Inquiries from hearing and speech impaired people should be directed to Parliament House TTY number 02 6277 7799. Adobe also provides tools at http://access.adobe.com/ for the blind and visually impaired to access PDF documents. If you require any special arrangements to enable you to participate in the Committee's inquiry, please contact the Committee Secretariat.
Once the Committee accepts your submission, it becomes a confidential Committee document and is protected by Parliamentary Privilege. You must not release your submission without the Committee's permission. If you do, it will not be protected by Parliamentary Privilege. At some stage during the inquiry, the Committee normally makes submissions public and places them on its website. Please indicate if you want your submission to be kept confidential.
For further information, contact: Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committees
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia