human rights

Documenting a Democracy: Australia's Story

A key resource for political historians. This site has been created by the National Archives of Australia to provide access to over 100 documents which trace the development of democratic government in Australia. It includes the full-text of sets of constitutional documents, from each of the eight states, land laws and civil rights legislation recognising the rights of the indigenous Aborigine peoples. Also provided is a timeline of Australian constitutional history and a glossary of key terms.

New Zealand Human Rights Commission

Website of the Human Rights Commission in New Zealand, offering background information on the function, personnel and organisation of the Commission with notes on the complaints process. The site offers opinions and decisions on complaints, texts of research papers, reports and submissions from the HRC and electronic versions of press releases, publications, and recent human rights speeches and addresses. Information is also provided on the international human rights movement with links to other human rights sites. Interfaces for a range of languages are provided.

Irish Penal Reform Trust

Website for the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT), an independent organisation campaigning for dignity, justice and humane approaches in the development and implementation of penal systems, particularly in Ireland. The site outlines the Trust's aims and mission supported by the publication onsite of Trust Policy statements on matters such as the introduction of private prisons in Ireland and sentencing in the District Court. Policy responses and submissions and relevant press stories are also provided.

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission is an independent body established by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, as part of the "Good Friday Agreement". The Commission aims to defend and promote the human rights of everyone in Northern Ireland through law, policy and practice measured against international standards. The Commission's website explains its work, describes its statutory powers, lists its membership and publishes press releases and other documents.

European Court of Human Rights

Web pages of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which has been in existence since 1959 and which was set up under the European Convention on Human Rights. The website includes the HUDOC database of ECtHR cases, European Commission of Human Rights decisions and reports and resolutions of the Committee of Ministers. The site also provides details of pending cases; the text of the European Convention on Human Rights and its protocols; and the rules of the Court together with information about its composition, organisation and historical background.

HUDOC: Human Rights Documentation

HUDOC is a free database of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) cases, decisions and reports of the European Commission of Human Rights, and resolutions of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. It is part of the ECHR web portal. Users may search by case name, respondent, application number, Convention article, keyword, conclusion, date range and other criteria. Documents are HTML, PDF or Word format. The interface is available in English, French, Russian, Spanish or Turkish; the documents are mostly in English and/or French.

Derechos Human Rights

Web pages of Derechos Human Rights, an organisation which campaigns against violations and provides information about human rights around the world, particularly in Latin America. The site can be browsed by subject or country. Subjects include the death penalty, the disappeared, freedom of speech, economic and social rights and the impunity of violators. There are country headings for Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Spain, United States and the European Union. There is a collection of articles and a human rights blog.

Genocide Watch

Web pages of Genocide Watch, a non-governmental organisation based in Canada. Genocide Watch seeks to confront and counteract acts of gender-selective mass killing, such as female infanticide, by raising public awareness, doing research and producing educational resources. Several case studies are available on the site, giving background information, some maps, photographs and accounts of cases of gendercide in Kossovo, Srebrenica, Rwanda, Montreal, maternal mortality and female infanticide, among others.

Japan Federation of Bar Associations

Website of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA), whose objectives include the protection of human rights in Japan, the registration of attorneys and the governance of matters relating to the guidance and supervision of Japanese attorneys and local bar associations. Background information on the JFBA is given including its objectives, categories of membership, membership rates, committees and an outline of the Japanese legal system and role of the attorney. The JFBA rules and regulations include full-text (HTML) of the code of ethics and the articles of association.

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