50 Human Rights Cases that Changed Australia

Australia Title

The first book of its kind, 50 Human Rights Cases that Changed Australia summarises Australia’s 50 most significant and influential human rights cases. The cases include landmark human rights cases from all Australian states and territories. They range from the seminal freedom of expression and First Nations land rights cases of the 1990s, to lesser-known earlier cases on civil liberties and criminal procedure and more recent advances in LGBTIQA+ rights, environmental rights, and the rights of people with disabilities.

Each case summary explains, in plain language, the facts, the issues and the outcome of the case. Each summary also contains key quotes from the judgment, commentary situating the case in its social and political context, and critical analysis of the case’s impact.

The first half of the book contains summaries of cases that have advanced the rights of particular groups in the Australian community: First Nations rights; women’s rights; LGBTIQA+ rights; disability rights; children’s rights; asylum seeker and refugee rights; prisoners’ rights.

The second half of the book contains summaries of cases dealing with particular human rights: the right against racial discrimination; the right to liberty; criminal justice rights; the right to freedom of expression; democratic rights; the right to a healthy environment; and the rule of law.

The cases demonstrate the potential of the law to achieve justice, as well as its limitations. They also reveal Australia’s human rights protections to be piecemeal and inadequate — illustrating the urgent need for a constitutional bill of rights.

Written by two practising human rights lawyers, this anthology is an essential resource for law students, lawyers and activists. It also provides an engaging overview to anyone who might be curious about how the law, and in particular litigation, has advanced human rights in Australia.

table of content

Acknowledgment of Country
Author acknowledgments
Foreword by the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG
Introduction
Note to readers
Chapter 1: First Nations rights
Chapter 2: Women’s rights
Chapter 3: LGBTIQA+ rights
Chapter 4: Disability rights
Chapter 5: Children’s rights
Chapter 6: Rights of asylum seekers and refugees
Chapter 7: Prisoners’ rights
Chapter 8: Right against racial discrimination
Chapter 9: Right to liberty
Chapter 10: Criminal justice rights
Chapter 11: Right to freedom of expression/ political communication
Chapter 12: Democratic rights
Chapter 13: Right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Chapter 14: Rule of law