Abstract

PIAC made a short submission to the Attorney- General’s Department in response to the exposure draft of amendments to the Acts Interpretation Act 1901(Cth)(AIA).  

PIAC recommended the inclusion of an additional clause in Part 5 of the AIA to contain a requirement that all federal legislation be interpreted consistently with Australia’s international human rights obligations.  This would form a human rights interpretation provision of the AIA. This provision was also a recommendation of the report from the National Human Rights Consultation in 2010.