International Conference on
Legislatures and the Protection of Human Rights

Draft Programme: 18 July 2006

Thursday 20 July

6pm-7.15pm: Miegunyah Public Lecture – ‘The roles of parliaments in protecting human rights: a view from the UK’

Speaker: Professor David Feldman, Rouse Ball Professor of English Law, University of Cambridge and Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellow, University of Melbourne

Chair: Professor Michael Crommelin, Zelman Cowen Professor & Dean, Faculty of Law

Friday 21 July

8.30am-9.00am: Registration and coffee 

9.00am-9.15am: Welcome and acknowledgment of country (Dr Simon Evans and Dr Carolyn Evans, Conveners)

9.15am-10.30am: Panel – ‘Who best protects rights: legislatures or the courts? Implications for the bill of rights debate’

Speakers:

• Professor George Williams, ‘The case for a role for the judiciary’
• Professor James Allan, ‘The case for parliamentary control’

10.30am-11.00am: Coffee break

11.00am-12.30pm: Panel - ‘Legislatures and the protection of rights: comparative perspectives’

Speakers:

• Professor Paul Rishworth, ‘The New Zealand Parliament and the protection of rights: praxis and pitfalls’
• Satya Prateek, ‘“Achieving” by enacting: Locating the Indian Parliament in the human rights discourse’
• Dr John Dinan, ‘The United States Congress and the protection of rights’

12.30pm-1.30pm: Lunch

1.30pm-3.00 pm: Panel – ‘Cultures of rights in the legislature’

Speakers:

• Senator Andrew Murray, ‘Parliamentary Committees and the protection of rights: a partial evaluation’
• Allan Shearan MP, ‘The role of the Legislation Review Committee’
• Victor Perton MP

3.00pm-3:30pm: Coffee break

3.30pm-5.30pm: Panel – ‘Rights and the executive’

Speakers:

• Professor John McMillan, ‘The role of the Ombudsman in ensuring executive compliance with rights’
• Angus Francis: ‘Post-legislative scrutiny in the immigration portfolio’
• Gabrielle McKinnon, ‘Giving meaning to a culture of human rights’
• Stuart Beresford, ‘Developing a human rights culture in the public service: you can lead an agency to water but can you make it drink?’

6.30pm for 7.00pm: Dinner at University House

Saturday 22 July

9.00am-10.30am: Panel – ‘Human rights and legislatures in a globalising world’

Speakers:

• Professor David Kinley, ‘Does the globalizing economy help or hinder human rights compliance?’
• Hafid Abbas, ‘Decentralization and local elites’ role in promotion of human rights’
• Professor Jeremy Gunn, ‘Legislatures and the exportation of rights: the case of the US Congress and Religious Freedom’

10.30am-11.00am: Morning tea 

11.00am-12.45pm: Panel – ‘Legislative scrutiny in comparative perspective’

Speakers:

• Dr James Kelly, ‘The commonwealth model and bills of rights: comparing legislative activism in Canada and New Zealand’
• Joanna Davidson, ‘The role and impact of the government lawyer in pre-legislative scrutiny’
• Thomas John, ‘Federal parliamentary debate and the protection of human rights’

12.45pm-1.45pm: Lunch  

1.45pm-3.00pm: Panel – ‘Deliberating about rights: law or politics’

Speakers:

• Professor Janet Hiebert, ‘Governing under a Bill of Rights: What does a compliance culture entail?’
• Dr Carolyn Evans and Dr Simon Evans, ‘The effectiveness of Australian parliaments in the protection of rights’

3.00pm-3.15pm: Concluding remarks by convenors 

3.15pm: Conference close