'Ludicrous' plan threatens human rights: council
Human rights in Australia will be seriously eroded under
proposed changes to the powers of the federal human rights body,
anti-discrimination agencies are warning.
The warning comes from the Council of Human Rights Agencies.
The council includes the equal opportunity commissions of Victoria,
Western Australia and South Australia, the Anti-Discrimination
Commissions of Queensland, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales
and the ACT Human Rights office.
The council argues that legislation introduced to federal parliament last
week will violate the independence of the Human Rights and Equal
Opportunity Commission by requiring it to obtain permission from the
Attorney-General before intervening in court cases.
Council chairwoman Diane Sisley says the commission will be left in the
ludicrous position of having to seek approval from a Government that may
be one of the parties involved in cases such as the Tampa
litigation.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-30mar2003-50.htm
