The protection of human rights in Australia - a way forward

  Mary Kostakidis was a member of the Human Rights Consultation Committee that inquired into the adequacy of the protection of human rights in Australia. The Committee reported to the federal Attorney General on September 30 after an extensive period of nationwide community consultation. In this lecture Ms Kostakidis discusses the themes that emerged from the 40,000 responses that were received during this consultation and outline the suite of measures which the committee saw as the way forward to better protect and promote human rights and responsibilities. For almost three decades Mary was involved in public broadcasting. She was a member of the management team that set up and developed SBS television in 1980 and presented its flagship World News for 20 years. She is currently Chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation, and a member of the Boards of the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Sydney Theatre Company and the ResMed Foundation. Former appointments include the Advertising Standards Board, the Republican Advisory Committee, the Constitutional Centenary Foundation, the Order of Australia Honours Committee and the James Joyce Foundation Board. Mary’s work reflects her commitment to social justice and interest in governance, and a recognition of the importance of active citizenship and the integral role of the media in democracy and the arts in civilisation. This is the Alice Tay Lecture on Law & Human Rights 2009, presented on 24 November by the Freilich Foundation, and is part of the ANU Public Lecture Series for 2009