Securing Territorians' Rights - Statehood and a Bill of Rights?
A free public forum - 10 May 2007
Do we need a Bill of Rights?
Most western countries have their own Bill of Rights, either enshrined in their constitution or enacted later by parliament.
Australia does not have a constitutionally-entrenched Bill of Rights, the founders of the Commonwealth having rejected the idea more than 100 years ago.
But is it time to introduce a federal Bill of Rights under the constitution, given the potential for the erosion of human rights under anti-terrorism laws? Or should it be left to the states and territories to supply their own Bill of Rights under legislation enacted in their own parliaments?
Only two jurisdictions – the ACT and Victoria – have passed their own human rights legislation.
Should a Bill of Rights it be considered for the Northern Territory as it makes its move towards statehood?
These are the legal, constitutional and moral questions that will be explored in the latest Charles Darwin Symposium, Securing Territorians’ Rights: Statehood and a Bill of Rights?
Speakers will discuss the issues from different perspectives, making the case for and against human rights legislation, as well as exploring the move towards statehood and its likely impact on federal-state relations.
There will also be an international and an Indigenous perspective on the issue, with panel discussions allowing for a wide range of opinions.
Audiences will be invited to question the speakers and the panelists.
About the Charles Darwin Symposia
Charles Darwin Symposia are an initiative of the Charles Darwin University/Northern Territory Government Partnership Agreement and are supported by the NT Government and the Australian National University.
The symposia are designed to encourage lively and informed debate on issues of importance to all Territorian’s. Through the symposia the University seeks to engage with the wider community, inviting members of the public to participate in the debates, airing diverse points of view, and seeking to reach understandings on the issues under scrutiny.
The organisers of the symposia invite community leaders, academics and other experts from across the nation and internationally, to address the topics that are the focus of each of the symposia.
Opportunities are provided for the public to comment, question and criticise the experts, as well as presenting their own perspectives on the matters on hand.
