Library Guides: Bachelor of Laws: Human Rights Law

1. Fundamental rights said to inhere in every individual on the basis of their humanity. Human rights have received their most renowned exposition in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights 1948. The idea is that every person should have an equal right to the most extensive system of fundamental rights and freedoms compatible with a similar system of rights and freedoms for every other person

2. The rights and freedoms recognised in law. In Australia, rights and freedoms may be constitutionally entrenched and guaranteed, recognised at common law, or declared by any relevant statute (often on the basis of an international instrument): (CTH) Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 s 3(1).
(Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary, 2011)

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eBooks

The International Law of Human Rights

(2017)

The Oxford Handbook of International Human Rights Law

(2013)

International Human Rights Law and Practice

(2020)

International Human Rights Law Documents

(2018)

Equality and Discrimination Law in Australia: an Introduction

(2016)

International Human Rights Law

(2021)

International Human Rights

(2020)

Laws of Australia - Legal Encyclopaedia

Development & Definition of Human Rights
Introduction; Western Heritage of Human Rights; International Treaties and Permissible Limitations on Rights; United Nations System for Protection of Human Rights
Australian Legal Foundation
Introduction; Constitutional Provisions; Commonwealth Powers; State and Territory Constitutions; Bill of Rights; International Law and Human Rights in Australia
Machinery
Introduction; Federal; States and Territories
Civil and Political Rights
Introduction; Political Process; Freedom of Religion and Belief; Right to Freedom of Movement
Work
Introduction; Right to Work; Right to Fair Conditions of Work; Rights Affecting Termination of Work; Rights to Take Industrial Action
Justice
Introduction; Liberty and Security of Person; Retrospectivity; Right to Fair Trial; Prisoners
Life, Health and Welfare
Introduction; Right to Life and Death with Dignity; Right to Adequate Standard of Living; Persons with Disabilities; Right to Health
Families and Education
Introduction; Right to Marry and Found Family; Children in Family; Adoption; Education
Discrimination
Introduction; Definitions; Power to Enact Discrimination Laws; Grounds of Discrimination; Prohibition of Discrimination in Activities or Areas; Exemptions; Harassment; Incitement and Vilification
Equality and the Rule of Law
Introduction; Equality and Rule of Law
Privacy
Introduction; Scope of Privacy Claim; Information Privacy; Other Laws Relating to Privacy; Information Technology
Gender, Sexuality and Discrimination
Introduction; History of the Law: Discrimination and Disadvantage

Halsbury's Laws of Australia - Legal Encyclopaedia

United Nations Resources

Human Rights UN Treaty Database
This is an unofficial site that contains the text of UN human rights treaties and related documents including reports, ratifications, reservations and declarations, concluding observations and jurisprudence. In addition to a using a search engine, users may also browse country and subject matter.
United Nations Homepage
United Nations Human Rights Homepage
An extensive collection of resources that may be browsed by subject, tribunal or UN body.
United Nations Treaty Collection
The United Nations Treaty Collection (UNTC) is a global portal providing on-line access to comprehensive information relating to the work of the Treaty Section.
United Nations Human Rights Committee
The Human Rights Committee is the body of independent experts that monitors implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by its State parties.
Human Rights Bodies - Complaints Procedures
Dag Hammarskjold Library Guide - UN Documentation: Human Rights
The UN Documentation Research Guide presents an overview of selected UN documents, publications, databases and websites.
Bayefsky.com
Bayefsky.com was designed for the purpose of enhancing the implementation of the human rights legal standards of the United Nations. Accessibility to UN human rights norms by individuals everywhere is fundamental to their successful realization. The information provided herein encompasses a range of data concerning the application of the UN human rights treaty system by its monitoring treaty bodies since their inauguration in the 1970's.
UN Document Symbols
Each UN document has a unique symbol at the top right of the document or on the cover page - this is a guide to those symbols.
Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) produces an extensive range of publications on a variety of topics related to human rights.
UN ODS (Official Document System)

Human Rights Law Web Sites

Amnesty International
Australian Human Rights Law Library - AustLII
Includes databases of Australian Human Rights law available on AustLII
Australian Human Rights Commission (HEROC)
The Australian Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory organisation that works to protect and promote the human rights of all people in Australia...
European Court of Human Rights
Court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols...
Human Rights Law Centre
The Human Rights Law Centre is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation which protects and promotes human rights in Australia.
Human Rights Watch - Australia
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to defending and protecting human rights...
Australian Parliamentary Library - Key Internet Links on Civil and Human Rights Law
Provides links to law resources related to civil and human rights - including Legislation, Court and Tribunal Decisions, Key National Bodies, Key Publications

Journals Databases

AGIS (Attorney Gererals Information Service) - is the leading legal journals database in Australia. Use AGIS to search hundreds of journals for Australian and New Zealand journal articles. Note that Boolean operators must be in capital letters.

The search show below will locate the word joslin, the phrase new zealand where they appear together in a record. It will aso locate any records that contain the phrase same-sex marriage.

(joslin AND "new zealand") OR 'same-sex marriage"

Westlaw International is a large collection of legal databases and contains over 1,000 mostly US and UK legal journals as well as other material.

The search shown below will locate journals articles that contain the word joslin in the same sentence (/s) as the phrase new zealand.

joslin /s "new zealand"

Useful Selected Serials Titles in Print and Online

Related Subjects in VU Catalogue

United Nations Materials / Treaties - AGLC4 Rule 8

United Nations Materials
Print friendly version of this section.

Frequently Cited UN Treaties / Official Documents

Charter of the United Nations.

Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, opened for signature 10 December 1984, 1465 UNTS 85 (entered into force 26 June 1987).

Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, opened for signature 4 November 1950, 213 UNTS 221 (entered into force 3 September 1953).

Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, opened for signature 18 December 1979, 1249 UNTS 13 (entered into force 3 September 1981).

Convention on the Rights of the Child, opened for signature 20 November 1989, 1577 UNTS 3 (entered into force 2 September 1990).

Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, opened for signature 13 December 2006, 2515 UNTS 3 (entered into force 3 May 2008).

Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, opened for signature 28 July 1951, 189 UNTS 150 (entered into force 22 April 1954).

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 999 UNTS 171 (entered into force 23 March 1976).

International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, opened for signature 16 December 1966, 993 UNTS 3 (entered into force 3 January 1976.

International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, opened for signature 21 December 1965, 660 UNTS 195 (entered into force 4 January 1969).

Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, opened for signature 11 December 1997, 2303 UNTS 148 (entered into force 16 February 2005).

Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization, opened for signature 15 April 1994, 1867 UNTS 3 (entered into force 1 January 1995) annex 1C ('Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights').

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, GA Res 217A (III), UN GAOR, UN Doc A/810 (10 December 1948).

United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, opened for signature 11 April 1980, 1489 UNTS 3 (entered into force I January 1988).

Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, opened for signature 23 May 1969, 1155 UNTS 331 (entered into force 27 January 1980).

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, GA Res 61/295, UN Doc A/RES/61/295 (2 October 2007, adopted 13 September 2007).

Decisions of UN Treaty Committees

Sample Reference to Human Rights Committee View

Human Rights Committee, Views: Communication No 900/1999, 76th sess, UN Doc CCPR/C/76/D/900/1999 (13 November 2002) (‘C v Australia’).

Where a pinpoint reference is included it should follow immediately after the date.

Please refer to AGLC Rule 9.3.1

Sample Reference to Human Rights Committee General Comment

Human Rights Committee, General Comment No 33: Obligations of States Parties under the Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, 94^th sess, UN Doc CCPR/C/GC/33 (25 June 2009)

Please refer to rule 9.2

Somestimes the session is not shown on the document. RefWorld is a handy site to look up session numbers for UN documents - search by UN Doc number / symbol

https://www.refworld.org/