Human Rights Act 2019

The Human Rights Act 2019 is an Act of the Parliament of Queensland that recognises human rights of individuals.

Provisions

The Act implements

a right to education,
a right to health,
a right to life.
a right to liberty and security of person

The Act implements

The Act implements cultural rights for Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders, as well as people generally. The Act implements property rights. The Act requires humane treatment in detention and imprisonment; fair hearings. The Act implements rights in criminal proceedings regarding children specifically as well as in general, and applies retrospectively to criminal laws. The Act implements a right not to be punished more than once.
The Act implements a "dialogue" model for human rights.

Uses

Under the Act, Queensland Police Service recognised the cultural rights of Wangan and Jagalingou cultural custodians to conduct ceremonies.

Instances of overriding

In February 2023, the Act was overridden to make it illegal for children to breaching bail.
In August 2023, the Act was overridden to pass legislation to imprison children in police watch houses for adults.
In December 2024, the Act was overridden to pass legislation to sentence children as adults, which was criticised by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.