Castan Centre for Human Rights Law
Encyclopedia
The Castan Centre for Human Rights Law is a research centre located within the Monash University Law Faculty
in Victoria
, Australia
. It was established in 2000 to meet the need for, and interest in, the study of human rights law globally, regionally and in Australia. It grew rapidly to become the largest research centre in the Monash Law School. It is the preeminent human rights centre in the Asia-Pacific region, and is one of Australia's most respected human rights monitoring organisations. Its function is to bring together the work of national and international human rights scholars, practitioners and advocates from a wide range of disciplines in order to promote and protect human rights.
The Centre is named after Ron Castan
, AM
QC
(1939-1999), a distinguished barrister
who was a passionate advocate of human rights
. His daughter, Melissa Castan, is Deputy Director of the Centre.
in Human Rights. In collaboration with law firm Holding Redlich, it runs the Holding Redlich Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Program, which attracts human rights experts from around the world to give public lectures on key human rights issues. Recent Fellows include Justice Richard Goldstone
(2009), Justice Thomas Buergenthal
(2009), Kirsty Sword Gusmão
(2008) and Professor Peter Russell
(2006). Additionally, Monash students and staff and the general public enjoy regular lectures by prominent human rights academics and advocates hosted by the Centre, with recent guest speakers including prominent barrister
Julian Burnside
QC, East Timor
President Dr José Ramos-Horta, the Dalai Lama
, former British first lady Cherie Booth QC
, Indigenous Australians Senator
Aden Ridgeway
and Noel Pearson
, former Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer
MP
and Prime Minister of Australia
Kevin Rudd
MP. The Centre administers numerous student internships enabling Monash undergraduate students to work at the United Nations Human Rights Council
, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
and the Khmer Rouge
trials.
Castan Centre staff undertake and publish extensive research in a wide range of areas related to human rights. To this end, it has received extensive funding from both government and non-government organisations, as well as some private industry sponsorship. Some of the Centre's past projects have included an investigation into the role of the World Trade Organisation in promoting human rights, and the human rights responsibilities of multinational corporations.
, the World Organisation Against Torture
, the Indonesian Ministries of Justice and Finance, the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
. Castan Centre staff have also been retained to conduct training and advice in some of the worlds human rights troublespots, such as Yangon
in Burma.
The current Director of the Castan Centre is human rights scholar Professor Sarah Joseph
. She replaced Founding Director Professor David Kinley, who served until 2005. Joseph is best known internationally for her work on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR).
The Centre has 5 Deputy Directors. The Deputy Directors are academic staff members of the Monash University Law Faculty and are responsible (with the Director) for the management of the Castan Centre:
The Castan Centre also has a number of Associates:
The Castan Centre has three full-time staff members, the Centre Manager, Project Officer and Centre Administrator.
Monash University Law Faculty
Monash University Faculty of Law, or Monash Law School, is the law school of Monash University in Melbourne, Victoria. Established in 1963, it offers the LLB, J.D., LLM, S.J.D., LLD and PhD degrees in law. It has been ranked as one of the top 20 law schools in the world...
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was established in 2000 to meet the need for, and interest in, the study of human rights law globally, regionally and in Australia. It grew rapidly to become the largest research centre in the Monash Law School. It is the preeminent human rights centre in the Asia-Pacific region, and is one of Australia's most respected human rights monitoring organisations. Its function is to bring together the work of national and international human rights scholars, practitioners and advocates from a wide range of disciplines in order to promote and protect human rights.
The Centre is named after Ron Castan
Ron Castan
Aaron Ronald Castan AM QC was a distinguished barrister and human rights advocate. He played a leading role in some of Australia's more important cases, such as the Gove land rights case, Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen and the Franklin Dam case...
, AM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(1939-1999), a distinguished barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
who was a passionate advocate of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. His daughter, Melissa Castan, is Deputy Director of the Centre.
Activities
The Centre’s main activities are research, teaching, public education (lectures, seminars, conferences, parliamentary submissions, internships and media presentations), applied research, advice work, policy work and consultancies.Teaching and research
In teaching, it offers Australia's only Master of LawsMaster of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
in Human Rights. In collaboration with law firm Holding Redlich, it runs the Holding Redlich Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Program, which attracts human rights experts from around the world to give public lectures on key human rights issues. Recent Fellows include Justice Richard Goldstone
Richard Goldstone
Richard Joseph Goldstone is a South African former judge. After working for 17 years as a commercial lawyer, he was appointed by the South African government to serve on the Transvaal Supreme Court from 1980 to 1989 and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa from 1990 to 1994...
(2009), Justice Thomas Buergenthal
Thomas Buergenthal
Thomas Buergenthal is a former judge of the International Court of Justice. He resigned his post as of 6 September 2010. Buergenthal is returning to his position as Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at The George Washington University Law School...
(2009), Kirsty Sword Gusmão
Kirsty Sword Gusmão
Kirsty Sword Gusmão is married to Xanana Gusmão, Prime Minister and former President of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste or East Timor...
(2008) and Professor Peter Russell
Peter Russell
Peter Russell M.A., D.C.S. is a British author of ten books and producer of three films on consciousness, spiritual awakening and their role in the future development of humanity. He has designed and taught personal development programs for businesses, and has remained a popular public...
(2006). Additionally, Monash students and staff and the general public enjoy regular lectures by prominent human rights academics and advocates hosted by the Centre, with recent guest speakers including prominent barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
Julian Burnside
Julian Burnside
Julian William Kennedy Burnside AO QC is an Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author. He is known for his staunch opposition to the mandatory detention of asylum seekers, and has provided legal counsel in a wide array of high-profile cases...
QC, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
President Dr José Ramos-Horta, the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, former British first lady Cherie Booth QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, Indigenous Australians Senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
Aden Ridgeway
Aden Ridgeway
Aden Derek Ridgeway , Australian politician, was a member of the Australian Senate for New South Wales, from 1999 to 2005, representing the Australian Democrats. During his term he was the only Aboriginal member of the Australian Parliament.-Early history:Ridgeway was born in Macksville, New South...
and Noel Pearson
Noel Pearson
Noel Pearson is an Aboriginal Australian lawyer, academic, land rights activist and founder of the Cape York Institute for Policy and Leadership, an organisation promoting the economic and social development of Cape York....
, former Minister for Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
MP. The Centre administers numerous student internships enabling Monash undergraduate students to work at the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, more commonly referred to as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia or ICTY, is a...
and the Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
trials.
Castan Centre staff undertake and publish extensive research in a wide range of areas related to human rights. To this end, it has received extensive funding from both government and non-government organisations, as well as some private industry sponsorship. Some of the Centre's past projects have included an investigation into the role of the World Trade Organisation in promoting human rights, and the human rights responsibilities of multinational corporations.
Consultancy and training
In its advisory and consultancy capacity, it advises and produces research papers for a range of human rights-related organisations, such as the World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the World Organisation Against Torture
World Organisation Against Torture
The World Organisation Against Torture is the world’s largest coalition of non-governmental organisations fighting against arbitrary detention, torture, summary and extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and other forms of violence...
, the Indonesian Ministries of Justice and Finance, the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...
. Castan Centre staff have also been retained to conduct training and advice in some of the worlds human rights troublespots, such as Yangon
Yangon
Yangon is a former capital of Burma and the capital of Yangon Region . Although the military government has officially relocated the capital to Naypyidaw since March 2006, Yangon, with a population of over four million, continues to be the country's largest city and the most important commercial...
in Burma.
Management and governance
The Centre is guided and governed by an Advisory Board which consists of several notable legal practitioners and researchers. Current members of the Board include:- Professor Philip AlstonPhilip AlstonPhilip G. Alston is an international law scholar and human rights practitioner. He is John Norton Pomeroy Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, and co-Chair of the law school's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice...
- Professor of Law at New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan... - Professor Virginia Dandan - Chairperson of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
- Patrick DodsonPatrick DodsonPatrick Dodson is a Yawuru man from Broome, Western Australia, he is a former Chairman of the "Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation", a former Commissioner into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and former Roman Catholic priest. He was the winner of the 2008 Sydney Peace Prize...
- Advocate for Indigenous Australians, founder of the Lingiari Foundation - The Hon. Elizabeth EvattElizabeth EvattElizabeth Andreas Evatt, AC , an emminent Australian reformist lawyer and jurist who sat on numerous national and international tribunals and commissions, was the first Chief Judge of the Family Court of Australia, the first female judge of an Australian federal court, and the first Australian to...
AC - Former Chief Judge of the Family Court of AustraliaFamily Court of AustraliaThe Family Court of Australia is a superior Australian federal court of record which deals with family law matters. Together with the Federal Magistrates Court, it covers family law matters in all states and territories of Australia except Western Australia...
, President of the Australian Law Reform Commission, Chair of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Vice-Chair of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, Judge of the World BankWorld BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
Administrative Tribunal, Commissioner of the International Committee of Jurists - Professor Claudio GrossmanClaudio GrossmanClaudio Grossman is a lawyer and law professor. He is the dean of the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C.. Grossman served as vice chair of the United Nations Committee Against Torture and now as Chair . He is a former member of the Inter-American Commission on...
- Dean of the Washington College of LawWashington College of LawAmerican University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report... - Judge Felicity HampelFelicity HampelFelicity Pia Hampel SC was a prominent Australian human rights lawyer and, since 2005, judge of the County Court of Victoria. Hampel's career as a barrister began in 1981, and she became a Senior Counsel in 1996....
SCStar of Courage (Australia)The Star of Courage is a bravery decoration awarded to Australians. It is awarded for acts of conspicuous courage in circumstances of great peril. The SC was created on 14 February 1975. The decoration recognises acts of bravery by members of the community. They selflessly put themselves in...
- prominent human rights lawyer, Judge of the County Court of VictoriaCounty Court of VictoriaThe County Court of Victoria was established in 1852 by the County Courts Act 1852. The court has jurisdiction in the State of Victoria, Australia... - Justice Michael Kirby AC - former Justice of the High Court of AustraliaHigh Court of AustraliaThe High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
- Professor Christopher WeeramantryChristopher WeeramantrySri Lankabhimanya Christopher Gregory Weeramantry was a Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka from 1967 to 1972. He was a Judge of the International Court of Justice from 1991 to 2000, and was Vice-President of the ICJ from 1997 to 2000...
- Former Judge and Vice-President of the International Court of JusticeInternational Court of JusticeThe International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
The current Director of the Castan Centre is human rights scholar Professor Sarah Joseph
Sarah Joseph (Australian legal academic)
Professor Sarah Louise Joseph is an Australian human rights scholar. Joseph is currently the Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law at Monash University, a position she has held since 2005...
. She replaced Founding Director Professor David Kinley, who served until 2005. Joseph is best known internationally for her work on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
(ICCPR).
The Centre has 5 Deputy Directors. The Deputy Directors are academic staff members of the Monash University Law Faculty and are responsible (with the Director) for the management of the Castan Centre:
- Dr Julie Debeljak
- Ms Melissa Castan
- Dr Paula Gerber
- Professor Susan Kneebone
- Dr Adam McBeth
The Castan Centre also has a number of Associates:
- Dr Heli Askola
- Associate Professor Gideon Boas
- Ms Azadeh Dastyari
- Dr Patrick Emerton
- Dr Stephen Gray
- Ms Tania Penovic
- Dr Joanna Kyriakakis
- David Yarrow
The Castan Centre has three full-time staff members, the Centre Manager, Project Officer and Centre Administrator.