Change Makers

Significant philanthropic support from a number of Australian law firms enables the Human Rights Law Resource Centre to empower people who are disadvantaged or living in poverty.

Operating within a human rights framework, the Centre makes strategic use of casework. For example, in 2007 it acted for a female indigenous prisoner who had been denied the right to vote. The High Court’s reversal of this decision was important for a victory for representative democracy, accountable government, the rule of law and fundamental human rights. With Aboriginal Australians incarcerated at a rate of almost thirteen times that of their fellow Australians, it was also a vindication of Aboriginal rights.

To enable it to run this particular case, the Centre received major philanthropic input from Allens Arthur Robinson and the pro bono support from Ron Merkel QC, Michael Pearce SC, Kristen Walker and Fiona Forsyth.