Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (TILES)

TasOPCAT Network

The Tasmanian Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture Network (TasOPCAT) was formed in March 2020 as a project within Law Enforcement and Public Health (LEPH) research stream of the Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies (TILES).

TasOPCAT objectives are to: share information about OPCAT with Tasmanian stakeholders; promote the benefits of preventive monitoring; and promote implementation of OPCAT in Tasmania and Australia. The TasOPCAT Network is a small working group that aims to form a Steering Group following appropriate consultation with interested people and organisations.

TasOPCAT is being reviewed and developed. For up-to-date information, please contact Val Kitchener at Valmae.kitchener@utas.edu.au

TasOPCAT Founding Members

  • Dr Isabelle Bartkowiak-Theron, Project Leader, TILES LEPH
  • Dr Val Kitchener, TILES LEPH
  • Ms Diana Taylor, Applied Health and Community Support, University College
  • Professor Penelope Weller, RMIT University, Melbourne

TasOPCAT is a collaboration of TILES, UTas School of Law, the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute and RMIT University, Melbourne.

Consistent with the work of LEPH at TILES, TasOPCAT promotes collaborative working frameworks such as Collective Impact as an enabling governance framework for National Preventative Measures in Tasmania. Collective Impact is an approach that provides practical ways to enable inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary decision-making in policy, especially in public health and policing.

What is OPCAT?

Australia ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT) in 2017and the Australian Government will implement OPCAT by January 2022 at the latest. This Protocol aims to prevent torture and other forms of mistreatment in places where people are deprived of their liberty, such as prisons, immigration detention centres, police detention facilities, psychiatric wards and care facilities.

OPCAT establishes National Preventive Measures (NPMs). NPMs are independent visiting bodies coordinated by the Commonwealth Ombudsman and established at domestic level within each State and Territory. NPMs focuses on proactive, preventive measures to limit deprivation of liberty. NPM functions include independent visits, advice, education, and cooperation. OPCAT provides that signatories will also receive visits from the United Nations Special Committee on Torture (SPT).

Why a TasOPCAT Network?

There are international and national OPCAT networks. Tasmania needs a network to ensure that the particular economic, social and cultural circumstances of Tasmanian citizens are taken into account in law and policy that will be nationally formed. OPCAT has the potential to touch the lives of many Tasmanians – not only those who may be in detention somewhere, or in mental health and care facilities but their families and carers. TasOPCAT is a new opportunity to look at human rights for Tasmanian citizens. This is an approach of negotiation that brings government and civil society together to respect, protect and fulfil human rights and the liberty of all citizens.

Publications

  • Penelope Weller (2019) OPCAT monitoring and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Australian Journal of Human Rights, 25:1, 130-149, DOI: 10.1080/1323238X.2019.1588056

Additional Resources