Stay up to date with the latest from the QCCL
Astonishingly, when the government announced these laws, it relied upon a review of the trial of this system as justifying their introduction. As this submission will demonstrate, to the contrary, that report justified the criticisms which have been made of this type of law.
Read More“The traditional requirement that before a search can proceed there must be a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed or a weapon found is a bulwark protection of our liberty. Such a requirement is essential to being able to prevent arbitrary searches or searches based on bias. The granting of such powers will inevitably result in unwarranted invasions of privacy.”
Read MoreThe Council maintains its position that the advancement of women’s equality and protecting them from violence cannot come at the expense of fundamental legal principles and arrangements designed to protect the liberty of everyone
Read More“It is absolutely vital that this Commission is not given an unrestrained roving commission to enforce vague notions of integrity” said Mr Cope
Read MoreCivil libertarians have traditionally been very sceptical about the creation of standing Royal Commissions such as this. And in our view, there have been examples of cases in which the State Commissions have abused their powers. So it is perhaps with some reluctance that we accept the necessity of this body. Accepting that there is a need for this body it is absolutely vital that it is not given an unrestrained roving commission to enforce vague notions of integrity.
Read Morewhat seems right is to use law to protect the bodily safety of prostitutes from assault, to protect their rights to their incomes against the extortionate behaviour of pimps, to protect poor women in developing countries from forced trafficking and fraudulent offers, and to guarantee their full civil rights in the countries where they end up—to make them, in general, equals under the law, both civil and criminal….But the criminalisation of prostitution seems to pose a major obstacle to that equality
Read More“With the vast majority of the population vaccinated in a way which is overwhelmingly effective at preventing serious illness or hospitalization and effective treatments, including the Pfizer one which is 89% effective, it is time to allow people to make their own assessment of how they want to spend their time and the risks involved”.
Read MoreThe Council has repeatedly called on the government to publicly identify the criteria which it will use to decide that the state of emergency is no longer required. We note it has again failed to do so.
We have maintained throughout this crisis the emergency powers are justified so long as they are necessary, proportionate and are in place for the absolute minimum period. It cannot be said at this time that the case has been made for the continuation of these emergency powers.
Read MoreOne area of inequality is that of social status. Anti-discrimination law is directed at addressing inequalities of social status. It seeks to deal with the fact that some people in our society are denied “goods on the basis of the widely held view that certain facts about them, such as race, gender, or religion make them less entitled to those goods than others are. The fact people are subject to a widely held view of inferiority of this kind- of being less entitled to important goods and opportunities, and less suitable for valued forms of personal relationship-is a distinctive feature of discrimination
Read MoreTwo overarching issues arise from gaps in the ACT human rights legislation: lack of access to justice for breach of a human right and consequent lack of accountability within decision-making bodies. These are inextricably linked to the two purposes of human rights legislation as set out above.
Read MoreQCCL President Michael Cope says, “The QCCL is not an anti vax organisation. At the same time we respect everyone’s right to bodily integrity and to control their medical treatment. We believe all medical treatment, which includes vaccination should be voluntary.
Read MoreQCCL President Michael Cope said today. “The QCCL opposes the Government Bill extending the Covid emergency powers until 30 April 2022. The QCCL would support an extension of the powers until 31 December 2021, when the question of whether they should be further extended can be considered.”
Read MoreThe virus is not going to disappear any time soon. This means, we are eventually going to have to start finding ways to deal with it that are not draconian. The widespread availability of safe and effective vaccines makes it not only possible for us to cope with the virus in the way we cope with the flu, but dictates that the emergency measures which have been implemented to deal with it must also come to an end
Read MoreIf the concept of citizenship is to mean anything it must mean the right to return to and live in your place of citizenship
Read MoreThe extraordinary powers, even though they may be justifiable, demand immediate accountability.
Emergency measures do not justify less scrutiny. In fact, the opposite is the case, we need to be even more alert to the threats to our basic liberties. In our submission that should be a key focus of this committee.
"Citizenship is person's basic right for it is nothing less than the right to have rights.”
“Citizenship is not a license that expires upon misbehaviour. Where does the principle underlying this legislation stop? Could a citizen be deprived of her nationality for evading tax or social security fraud?”
Read MoreA Human Rights Act is not a panacea, ultimately only an active citizenry can protect our rights and liberties. However, the Act will provide a new tool that citizens of this State can use to protect themselves. Perhaps more importantly, it will force decision-makers to consider the particular circumstances of each individual, about whom they have to make a decision. That must result in better decisions and better government.Despite our criticisms, we are of the view that this Bill represents a bold reform and this is not the time to allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good.
Read MoreIn the Council’s view the case for a Human Rights Act is quite simply irrefutable. In saying that the Council does not think that a Human Rights Act will constitute a revolution in either sense. That is, a Human Rights Act will not create a human rights nirvana in Queensland. Nor will it wreck the separation of powers between the branches of the government or destroy our democracy. What it will do is represent a bold statement of commitment by the Queensland Government to bring human rights closer to the heart of political culture in this state and provide a place where the marginalised and disadvantaged in our community can seek redress for their grievances.
Read More“I can say without knowing the details that a significant number of them despite having been punished according to law, have been sentenced again to a bleak existence without their loved ones, without income and in many cases because they can’t speak the language with no prospect of any meaningful existence in the communities to which they have been sent.”
Read More
