JudicialCollegeofVictoria:IntroductiontoHumanRights
Seminar
19February2007
StateLibraryTheatrette
OpeningRemarks:theHontheChiefJusticeMarilynWarrenAC
Letmerepeatastatementfromthereportof the Human Rights
Consultation Committee chairedbyProfessorGeorgeWilliams:1
AftersixmonthsoflisteningtoVictorians ofallagesand backgroundsacrosstheState,itisclearthatasubstantialmajority ofthepeople weheardfromwanttheirhuman rightstobebetter protectedbythelaw.WhileVictorians donotwantradicalchange, theydosupportreformthatwillstrengthentheirdemocracyand Victoria’ssystemofgovernment. Inthisarea,theyseeVictoria playingaleadingroleamongtheAustralianStates.
TheCommitteecontinues:2
Manypeoplewanttoseetheirhumanrightsbetterprotectedto shieldthemselvesandtheirfamiliesfromthepotentialmisuseof government power.Forevenmorepeople,however,thedesirefor changereflectstheiraspirationtoliveinasocietythatcontinuesto striveforthevaluesthattheyholddear,suchasequality, justice anda‘fairgo’forall.
Theideaofacommunitybaseduponacultureofvaluesand human rightsisonethatweheardagainandagainduringour consultations.Victorianssoughtnotjustanewlaw,butsomething
1The HumanRights Consultation Committee, Parliament of Victoria,the Report of theHumanRights
ConsultationCommittee (2005), ii.
2Ibid.
thatcouldhelpbuildasocietyinwhichgovernment,Parliament, thecourtsandthepeoplethemselveshaveanunderstandingof andrespectforourbasicrightsandresponsibilities.
Lawreformthroughpopulismiscontroversial.Thatsaid,theextensive consultationprocessengagedinbytheHumanRightsConsultation Committeeinmanyrespectsproposesnomorethanacharterofhuman duties,manyofwhichalreadyexistwithinthecriminallawinparticular andthecommonlawingeneral.
The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006states principlesthatarelargelywellenshrinedinourlaw.Itistimelytovisit thepreambleoftheAct:
OnbehalfofthepeopleofVictoriatheParliamentenactsthis charter,recognisingthatallpeoplearebornfreeandequalin dignityandrights.
ThisCharterisfoundedonthefollowingprinciples-
•humanrightsareessentialinademocraticandinclusivesociety thatrespectstheruleoflaw,humandignity,equalityand freedom;
•humanrightsbelongtoallpeoplewithoutdiscrimination,and the diversityofthepeopleofVictoriaenhancesourcommunity;
•humanrightscomewithresponsibilitiesandmustbeexercised inawaythatrespectsthehumanrightsofothers;
• humanrightshaveaspecialimportancefortheAboriginal
peopleofVictoria,asdescendantsofAustralia’sfirstpeople,with theirdiversespiritual,social,culturalandeconomicrelationship
withtheirtraditionallandsandwaters.
VictoriaisthefirstAustralianStatetoenactahumanrightscharter.We knowoftheexperienceoftheAustralianCapitalTerritory.3 Overseas,we areinformedbythejurisprudenceoftheUnitedKingdom,4Canada,5New Zealand,6theEuropeanUnion7andHongKong.8 Thereisalsothe AmericanexperienceoftheinterpretationoftheBillofRights.9
Thisisnotanoccasiontodebatetherightsorwrongsofarightscharter. Itisourfunction,asthejudiciary,andasthethirdarmofgovernment,to interpretandapplythesenewlaws.
Onreflection,mostofushaveconsideredanddeterminedahuman rightscase.Wemightneedtoruleuponpublicinterestimmunityabout importantmedicalrecords;determinetheimpactofthelackoflegal representationupontheprospectofanaccusedpersonreceivingafair trial;ruleuponwhetherarecordorinterviewofanaccusedhasbeen
conductedfairly;ordeterminewhethertherehasbeendiscriminationor
3Human Rights Act 2004(ACT).
4Human Rights Act 1998(UK).
5ConstitutionAct1982,sch B CanadianCharterofRightsand Freedoms(Canada).
6Human Rights Act 1993(NewZealand).
7EuropeanConvention fortheProtection ofHumanRightsand Fundamental Freedoms, openedfor signature
4November1950(enteredinto force3September 1953).
8Basic Law oftheHongKong SpecialAdministrative Region of thePeople's Republic ofChina (China) (1990-
1997).
9United StatesConstitution,amend I-X.
racialvilificationinthecontextofcitizensgoingabouttheirdailylives. Manyofthefemalejudicialofficerspresenttodaymayhaveencountered discriminationonthebasisofsexeitherbywayofdeterminationofa disputeorevenatapersonallevel.
ButnowwehavetheVictorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities.We,asthejudicialofficersofthestateofVictoria,stand heretodayandrevisittheexperienceofchildhood.Iamsurethatallof us mightrecallanoccasionasayoungchildwhenwestoodattheedge of thedeependofaswimmingpool,tookadeepbreathandjumpedin. Forothers,itmighthavebeentheexperienceofstandingatthebaseof
atalltreeandclimbinguptoabranchthathadneverbeenreached before,highabovetheground.Thesetypesofchildhoodexperiences can beextrapolatedtotheprospectthatwenowface. Wehavebefore usawholenewjurisdiction.We,asthejudiciaryofVictoria,havebefore ustheopportunitytotakethecommonlaw,foreignjurisprudenceand everyounceofourintellectualcapacitytodevelopthefirstAustralian jurisprudenceofhumanrightslaw.Itisamomentofexcitementand exhilarationbutalsooneoftrepidationandreservation.
However,theJudicialCollegeofVictoriahasseizedthemomentin judicialeducationinthisStatebyprovidingacarefullyconsidered programmetoenableeachjudicialofficertoparticipateinthe developmentofVictorianjurisprudenceinhumanrightslaw.Today marksthelaunchofthatprogramme.Weareindeedprivilegedbythe presenceofSirGerardBrennan,eminentjuristandDrJulieDebeljiakas weembracetheopportunityprovidedbythisnewjurisdictionacrossall levelsofjusticeinthisState:theSupremeCourt,theCountyCourt,the Magistrates’CourtandtheVictorianCivilandAdministrativeTribunal.
TherewillbenoescapingtheHumanRightsCharter.Asrecentlyas JanuarythisyeartheSupremeCourtwascalledupontoruleupona charterissueinamurdertrialintheSupremeCourt.Inthewordsofthe PresidentoftheCourtofAppeal,JusticeMaxwell:10
[H]umanrightsshouldnotbeseenasaspecialsubject.Rather,it shouldbeseenasinformingalmosteverythingwhichlawyers,and courts,do.Whatthecourtsdo,everyday,istomakedecisions whichaffecthumanrights.Thisistruenotonlyofthesubstantive rightswhichfallfordecisionbutalsoofproceduralrights,typified bythepresumptionofinnocenceandtherighttoafairtrialwhich aredistinctiveofourcriminaljusticesystem.
10The Hon. President ChrisMaxwell, ‘HumanRights:A Viewfromthe Bench’ (Address to theAnnual General Meeting oftheAdministrativelawandHumanRights Section oftheLaw Institute of Victoria, Melbourne,26October2005).
OnbehalfofthejudiciaryofVictoriaIconveydeepthanksand appreciationtotheExecutiveOfficeroftheJudicialCollegeofVictoria,Ms LynSladeandherstaff.Theprogrammeovertheyear2007willbe exhilaratingandinformative.TheCollegehasengagedinternational speakersandprovidedaprogrammeofworkshopstoassistallofusin
thenewjurisdictionthatliesbeforeus.Comewithmeonatruly
remarkablejourney.
InlaunchingtheprogrammecreatedforusbytheJudicialCollegeof Victoria,weareindeedveryprivilegedtohaveasourfirstkeynote speakertheHon.SirGerardBrennan,formerChiefJusticeoftheHigh CourtofAustralia.
In1976SirGerardwasappointedasajudgeoftheAustralianIndustrial Court,ajudgeoftheSupremeCourtsoftheAustralianCapitalTerritory andtheNorthernTerritory,thePresidentoftheAdministrativeAppeals TribunalandAdministrativeReviewCouncil.Hewasappointedoneof thefoundationjudgesoftheFederalCourtin1977.Hence,SirGerard
Brennanhashadthebenefitofsittinginalljurisdictionsincludingtrialsat firstinstanceanduponadministrativetribunals.SirGerardwasappointed ajusticeoftheHighCourtofAustraliain1981.HewasappointedChief
JusticeofAustraliain1995andretiredin1998.Heiscurrentlyanon permanentjudgeoftheCourtofFinalAppealofHongKong.
ThejudgmentsofSirGerardBrennanarewellknowntoallofus.One needonlythinkofhisroleintheHighCourtjudgmentsinMabo11and Wik12andalsohiscapacityto informjurisprudencewhenindissent.His judgmentinEdwards13concernedwithconsciousnessofguiltregularly fallsbeforethejudicialmindwhendealingwiththatdifficulttopicinthe
immediacyofthecriminaltrial.Inthecommercialcontexttheprinciples statedinWaltonStoresvMaher14 informourjurisprudenceonpromissory estoppelonanalmostdailybasis.
WouldyoujoinmeinwelcomingtoourpodiumtheHon.SirGerard
Brennan.
11MabovQueensland[No2] (1992) 175CLR 1.
12WikPeoplesv Queensland (1996) 187CLR 1.
13EdwardsvThe Queen(1993) 178CLR 193.
14WaltonStoresvMaher(1987)164CLR 387.