University of Tasmania, Australia

The 2013 Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Lecture was held on 30 April, 2013 in the University of Tasmania’s Stanley Burbury Lecture Theatre. The lecture was delivered by Professor Gillian Triggs, President of the Australian Human Rights Commission on the theme 'Human Rights in Australia - The Role of Public Education and Advocacy.'

Australia is the only comparable common law country that does not have a Charter of Rights, or similar legislation, for the protection of human rights. Even fundamental rights such as freedom of speech and religion have no explicit status in the Australian Constitution. Rather, Australia has relied upon the judiciary to develop common law jurisprudence to ensure legality and the rule of law. In an attempt to enact coherent federal laws, the Commonwealth Government introduced the Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Bill 2012 for public comment. The draft was as close to a Charter of Rights as was politically possible. The draft was, nonetheless, ridiculed by the media and commentators on the grounds that it was an offence to 'insult or offend' someone on a range of protected attributes and the Bill adopted a shifting burden of proof. The Bill has now been withdrawn by the Attorney-General, raising the question why Australians are so cautious about legislative protection of their basic rights.

This lecture suggests that Australia has become isolated from the contemporary human developments in countries such as the UK, US, NZ and Europe and that human rights education has been fragmented and ineffectual. A renewed commitment to public education about fundamental freedoms, and the right not to be discriminated against on grounds such as sex, disability, age and race, is needed. The AHRC is actively engaged in community education and curriculum reform, with the aim of ensuring that human rights are an integral part of education from the earliest age. Australia's 32 Law Schools are also assisting by developing human rights courses and by providing practical clinical training to encourage pro bono legal aid and advocacy.

^{The Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Lecture is presented by the Inglis Clarke Centre for Civil Society, Faculty of Law and UTAS Foundation.}

About the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Fund

Tasmanian lawyer Alexander (Sandy) Duncanson died in June 2010 at the age of 37, after surviving cancer for 16 years. Sandy's family and friends have worked with the UTAS Faculty of Law and the Inglis Clark Centre to establish a fund in his name through the University of Tasmania Foundation.

More than $100,000 has been raised to date for the fund. The initial target was $60,000 to award one bursary each year in perpetuity; the new target is $120,000 to award two bursaries each year.

Donations can still be made here: www.utas.edu.au/foundation/donate (under ‘Other Appeals and Areas to Give’ by noting the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Bursary in the ‘Gift purpose’ section of the donation form).

The aim of the bursary is to provide a University of Tasmania student assistance to advance a social justice initiative, encouraging more of our graduates to pursue their careers with integrity.

UTAS student Laura Sykes has been awarded the Sandy Duncanson Social Justice Fund inaugural bursary. The bursary will assist Laura with her vision to achieve Fairtrade Accreditation for UTAS.