The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge that has required extraordinary measures to protect public health. Difficult decisions have had to be made about restricting some of our human rights – such as freedom of movement and association.

Protecting public health and protecting human rights are not mutually exclusive choices – but how do we keep the balance between the two? What safeguards do we need to protect rights and freedoms in Australia and prevent the ‘creeping authoritarianism’ we have witnessed elsewhere in the world?

Our panel of distinguished speakers will consider the issues and solutions from a human rights perspective in a live online event.

Panel discussion facilitated by Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow with a welcome address by Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM.

Friday 27 November, 12 noon - 1.30pm
Live online event

The ‘Balancing Human Rights and COVID-19’ rights talk is proudly sponsored by Lexis Nexis.

LexisNexis is a leading global provider of legal, regulatory and business information and analytics that help professional customers make more informed decisions, increase productivity and serve their clients bette

SPEAKERS

Edward Santow is Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission. He leads the Commission’s work on technology and human rights; refugees and migration; human rights issues affecting LGBTI people; counter-terrorism and national security; and freedom of expression.

Professor Robynne Quiggin is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central western New South Wales. Practicing as a solicitor and consultant for 15 years with a focus on legal, compliance and policy areas of relevance to Indigenous Australians including human rights, financial inclusion, financial services, consumer issues, governance, the arts and heritage.

Professor Michael Kidd AM is Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Australia. He has been a general practitioner for 35 years, working in urban and rural areas across Australia, and is a past president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Michael is a world-leading authority on primary health care.

Sarah Joseph is a Professor of Human Rights Law, and commenced at Griffith University in March 2020. Her teaching and research interests are international human rights law and constitutional law. Sarah is internationally recognized for her work on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Hugh de Kretser is the Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre. He has worked on human rights law issues in Australia for close to two decades. He is a Director of the Sentencing Advisory Council and was previously the Executive Officer of the Victorian Federation of Community Legal Centres and a Commissioner of the Victorian Law Reform Commission.