Australia

Specialized body - Human rights

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights March 2012

About

Nature

Permanent or temporary (ad-hoc)

View field in the data dictionary

Permanent

Related to Chambers

Senate

House of Representatives

Themes

Human rights

Members

Chairperson(s)

(2022-07)

See historical data for this field

Person

Person details for the Chair

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Josh Burns (Male)
Date of birth: 06 Feb 1987

Political affiliation

Majority

Committee functions

The Committee has the following functions:

Mainstream human rights into the work of (other) parliamentary committees and of Parliament as a whole

No

Scrutinise all Bills for their compatibility with human rights

Yes

Scrutinise the Executive’s policy for compatibility with human rights

No

Obtain information from the Executive about the justification for actions or inaction which affect human rights

Yes

Scrutinise State compliance with existing UN human rights treaties

No

Initiate inquiries of its own choosing

Yes

Scrutinise proposed human rights treaties, and other international treaties with implications for human rights, and report to Parliament thereon, prior to ratification

No

Ascertain and review the Executive’s reasons for not acceding to or ratifying existing international human rights treaties

No

Scrutinise the Executive’s response to judgments of national, regional and international courts with implications for human rights

No

Monitor the adequacy of the existing national system for the protection of human rights

No

Review the allocation and expenditure of funds in the State budget to support measures to promote and protect human rights

No

Other important functions, please specify

The committee has powers to self-initiate inquiries into legislation for compatibility with human rights, as part of its power to examine Acts for compatibility with human rights in section 7(b) of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

The committee also has a function to inquire into any matter relating to human rights which is referred to it by the Attorney-General, and to report to both Houses of the Parliament on that matter under section 7(c) of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Committee involvement in international and national reporting mechanisms

Such as the UN Human Rights Council and its' Universal Periodic Review, the UN CEDAW Committee etc.

Consulted in the preparation of national report to the UN Human Rights Council

No

Included in the official delegation which orally presented the most recent national report to the Council

Yes

Discussed the conclusions and recommendations which the Council adopted as a result

Yes

Conducted hearings with the Executive about its plans to implement the conclusions and recommendations of the Human Rights Council

No

Committee powers

The Committee has the power to:

Propose amendments to legislation

Yes

Introduce bills into Parliament

No

Initiate parliamentary debates on its reports or on subjects of its choosing

Yes

Carry out inquiries

Yes

Hold oral evidence hearings

Yes

Compel witnesses to attend

Yes

Compel the production of documents and papers

Yes

Make recommendations to the Executive

Yes

Conduct visits, including visits abroad

Yes

Access places of detention without notice

No

Committee working methods

The Committee:

Adopts an annual or longer-term work plan

Yes

Publishes reports on its work on the parliamentary website

Yes

Usually reaches consensus on the issues on which it reports

Yes

Systematically follows up its reports and recommendations

Yes

Reports regularly to Parliament on its activities

Yes

Number of specialised staff to service committee

5

Cooperation and coordination

The Committee regularly cooperates and coordinates (e.g. through sharing of reports; meetings; joint follow-up action) with:

Other parliamentary committees

Often

Civil society organisations

Sometimes

National Human Rights Institution(s)

Often called “Commissions” and/or “Ombudspersons” in the area of human rights

View field in the data dictionary

Sometimes

Academic institutions, including research institutes on human rights and the rule of law

Sometimes

The media

Sometimes

Contact information for the Committee

Contact / Address

No information available

Phone

+61 2 6277 3823

Fax number

No information available

E-mail

[email protected]

Web site

https://www.aph.gov.au/joint_humanrights