NSW's peak representative bodies for solicitors and barristers have called for a public inquiry into human rights legislation in NSW.
The President of the NSW Bar Association, Dominic Toomey SC, and the President of the Law Society of NSW, Ronan MacSweeney, said the Human Rights Bill 2025 should be referred to a parliamentary inquiry before it lapses on 26 March 2026.
"Protecting human rights cannot be a legislative afterthought. It should be a foundational component of NSW law," Mr Toomey said.
"Despite decades of advocacy, including by the legal profession, legal protections for human rights in NSW remain unacceptably fragmented and ad hoc. This is of particular concern for the most marginalised and disadvantaged members of our community."
"The NSW Parliament can help to right this by referring the Human Rights Bill 2025 to a public inquiry. This would enable experts and the community at large to have their say, with a view to building a human rights framework that meets the needs of the people of NSW."
Mr MacSweeney reaffirmed the Law Society of NSW's long stated support for the enactment of human rights legislation in NSW.
"The Law Society stands ready to assist, should the Government decide to take the opportunity presented by the current Bill for community and expert consultation; and, indeed to provide input should the government decide to work on its own bill in the future," Mr MacSweeney said.
"As we have stated before, the Law Society's support for a standalone Human Rights Act is grounded in our commitment to the rule of law. Such legislation would provide a clear, principled framework for consistent decision-making. Appropriately framed legislation could strengthen the protection and promotion of human rights in NSW as well as helping to foster social cohesion and providing fairness and justice to the community."
The Law Society's Thought Leadership paper Human Rights Legislation for NSW, updated in September last year, discusses in detail the rationale for and benefits of such legislation.
