Australian Human Rights Institute

Public Law and Protest in Australia Hosted by the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, in collaboration with AIAL (NSW Chapter).

ONLINE EVENT | NSW and Victoria have recently enacted laws which further restrict the right of Australians to protest. Institute Associate and UNSW Law & Justice Associate Professor Daniel Joyce will chair a panel of experts on the topic on March 23. Register: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/public-law...

The @journalhumanrights.bsky.social is inviting submissions for its special issue on 'The Right to Food and Food Security in Turbulent Times: Critical Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific Region'. Deadline: 15 April. Submissions details: bit.ly/AJHRsubmissi... More info, contact: ajhr@unsw.edu.au

Is the right to protest being undermined in Australia? - ABC listen Queensland has introduced a bill to ban the slogans "from the river to the sea" and "globalise the intifada". Western Australia wants to give police the power to refuse a protest permit if a public ev...

LISTEN | Protests in Sydney descended into violence last week, raising questions around police brutality and the erosion of the right to protest. Institute Associate and UNSW Law & Justice Professor Luke McNamara joined ABC's The Law Report yesterday to discuss: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

CLOSING THIS WEEK | There are just a few days left to get applications in for our 2026 seed funding round. Grants of $10,000–$20,000 can support UNSW academics with their interdisciplinary human rights research. Applications close 22 February: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/about-us/ass...

OUT NOW | Human rights grants, gender equality at work, police violence + how to spot financial abuse: A massive first edition of the Human Rights Defender to kick off the year. Read it here: mailchi.mp/unsw/human-r...

Police use of violence ‘disturbing’ and ‘disappointing’ at Sydney rally against Israeli president, experts say Luke McNamara, who attended protest, says police behaviour was ‘the direct consequence’ of the Minns government’s ‘unreasonable conditions’

"A case study in disturbing and unnecessary police violence” - UNSW Law & Justice Associate Professor Vicki Sentas and Institute Associate, Professor Luke McNamara, speak to @australia.theguardian.com about NSW Police violence at Monday's protest in Sydney: www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

International Law of Human Rights - The Federation Press 3rd edition

OUT NOW | The third edition of the International Law of Human Rights, co-authored by Australian Human Rights Institute director Professor @justinenolan.bsky.social, has hit bookshelves, featuring new chapters on LGBTQIA+ rights and climate change. federationpress.com.au/product/inte...

Louise Chappell and Na'ama Carlin on Personal Cancer Stories - The Lancet in conversation with The uniqueness of each patient is at the heart of this year's World Cancer Day. Each cancer patient has their own hopes, dreams and fears. In this Podcast you will hear from two cancer survivors about...

On World Cancer Day, The Lancet's podcast speaks with former Australian Human Rights Institute director, Scientia Professor Louise Chappell, about receiving a cancer diagnosis, and the importance of including a patient-centred approach to cancer care: www.buzzsprout.com/882697/episo...

Has progress stalled on gender equality at work? An international body of research led by UNSW academics warns progress towards gender equality at work is stalling – and in some cases going backwards – as climate change, artificial intelligence, vio...

“Gendered violence directly affects women’s capacity to work, to stay healthy and to support their families. Recognising that in workplace policy is not optional, it’s foundational.” - Institute Associate Dr Yuvisthi Naidoo. www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/new...

Why London is shaping Sydney's protest slogan debate Momentum is building after the Bondi terror attack to outlaw a slogan favoured by pro-Palestine activists, but its meaning remains heavily contested.

"It's an impossible exercise to think that we can quarantine certain words without simultaneously eroding legitimate political expression" -Institute Associate and UNSW Law & Justice Professor Luke McNamara speaks to AAP. aapnews.aap.com.au/news/why-lon...

OPEN NOW | The Australian Human Rights Institute has opened its largest-ever round of human rights grants for UNSW research projects. With the support of funding partners, we've provided $350,000+ across 31 projects since 2021. Find out more and apply: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/about-us/ass...

COMMENTARY | Institute Associate and UNSW Law & Justice Professor Luke McNamara unpacks some of the proposed changes within the Albanese government’s hate speech bill: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/com...

It's going to be a big year ahead in human rights. Read about what the Australian Human Rights Institute has planned for 2026 in this message from our director, Professor @justinenolan.bsky.social: bit.ly/JN2026message

Calls for tougher crackdown on textile worker exploitation - ABC listen Experts are warning too many Australian garment workers are being exploited, despite efforts to fix the problem.

LISTEN | The ABC's World Today program speaks with Professor @justinenolan.bsky.social about the calls for a tougher crackdown on textile worker exploitation: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

YouTube video by UNSW Social media ban or band-aid? Katharine Kemp | What's the Tea?

Institute Associate and UNSW Law & Justice Associate Professor Katharine Kemp unpacks the teen social media ban and looks at balancing the very real need to protect children with the potential for privacy breaches that should concern all Australians. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOTY...

Australia’s international law obligations for climate change We are a leading Australian law firm. With more than 140 partners, we have depth and breadth of expertise and service corporate, public sector and private…

PODCAST | Nathan Kennedy and Gillian Moon discuss the Australian Human Rights Institute's 'State of Denial' report, and the ICJ's advisory opinion that all states have a binding international law duty to prevent significant harm to the earth's climate: hallandwilcox.com.au/news/austral...

Has Australia's human rights record gone backwards? Institute interns Jasmine Crittenden and Chloe Lee interview Australian Human Rights Commission President Hugh de Kretser about the Universal Periodic Review scheduled for Australia in 2026: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/students/blo...

Australia has dropped its bid to host the COP31 climate talks. Here’s what happened – and what’s next After a three-year push to host the 2026 climate talks with the Pacific, Australia has backed down. The news is disappointing – but there’s a small silver lining.

"Australia will have a central role to play over the next year in maintaining global momentum in shifting away from fossil fuels and accelerating the renewable rollout even faster." - Research Associate Wesley Morgan. theconversation.com/australia-ha...

Just over two weeks out from Australia's new age-related restrictions on social media, Institute Associate and UNSW Law & Justice Associate Professor Daniel Joyce looks at the complex balancing of human rights involved: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/com...

STUDENT BLOG | While Australia ceded its bid to co-host #COP31 in 2026 to Türkiye, the need for a strengthened human rights protection framework has become more urgent than ever: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/students/blo...

The final Human Rights Defender for 2025 is out now, with news on the winner of the Andrea Durbach Prize, COP30 and concerning new modern slavery numbers. Read it here: mailchi.mp/unsw/human-r... Subscribe here: bit.ly/HRDSubscribe

“You just couldn’t say the risk is low when you’ve got over 80 per cent of cotton coming from Xinjiang. That’s a high risk." -Professor @justinenolan.bsky.social speaks with The Daily Telegraph about the slavery risks from ultra cheap e-commerce platforms. www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nationa...

Modern slavery increasing in NSW - ABC listen The New South Wales Anti-Slavery Commissioner says the number of people who've reported being victims of modern slavery activity in the state has risen by 116 per cent since last financial year.

The number of people who've reported being victims of modern slavery activity in NSW has risen by 116% since last financial year. Australian Human Rights Institute director, Professor @justinenolan.bsky.social, chats to the ABC's World Today program about the figures: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

The Australian Journal of Human Rights (@journalhumanrights.bsky.social), Australia’s first peer-reviewed journal devoted exclusively to human rights, is seeking expressions of interest to fill positions on its Editorial Board. Find out more: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/sites/defaul...

WATCH | The Australian Human Rights Institute recently launched its new 'Provocation Series' at the Art Gallery of NSW. You can now watch a full recording of the debate over whether the pursuit of diversity and inclusion is dead: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/events/pursu...

NEW RESEARCH | Our latest report examines the role of Ethical Clothing Australia’s accreditation program, its alignment with emerging standards for responsible workplace practices, and its global counterparts involved in improving standards in the sector: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/cur...

Sustainability in action: UNSW celebrates innovation at the SDG Showcase From solar cars to seawall restoration, UNSW Sydney’s SDG Showcase highlighted the people and projects transforming ideas into solutions for a better future.

This week, the Institute took part in a showcase of UNSW's efforts to drive change through the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including our Global Student Fellowships and Professor @justinenolan.bsky.social's research into shaping ethical global supply chains: www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/new...

Do we have a right to free speech in Australia? - ABC listen The implied freedom of political communication has been at the centre of several recent high-profile court decisions. The Law Report asks: do Australians have a constitutional right to freedom of spee...

LISTEN | The implied freedom of political communication has been at the centre of several recent high-profile court decisions. Institute Associates Luke McNamara and Daniel Joyce discuss the right to free speech in Australia with the ABC's Law Report: www.abc.net.au/listen/progr...

Winner of Andrea Durbach Prize announced The Australian Journal of Human Rights has awarded the annual Andrea Durbach Prize to Dr Lisa Ewenson for her article on youth justice detention in Australia.

Congratulations to the latest winner of the Andrea Durbach Prize, Dr Lisa Ewenson. Each year, @journalhumanrights.bsky.social awards the prize to an author whose article reflects the values that have resonated in Professor Durbach’s career. Read more: www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/news/winner-...

Record number of UNSW students awarded human rights fellowship | Inside UNSW The Australian Human Rights Institute’s Global Student Fellowship offers students the opportunity and funding to join a leading human rights or development organisation.A record 24 UNSW students have ...

Four female UNSW Engineering students are among those selected as Australian Human Rights Institute Global Student Fellows in 2025. They'll join Engineers Without Borders in locations such as Cambodia and Timor-Leste as part of the paid fellowship program: www.inside.unsw.edu.au/societal-imp...