Mr. John Von Doussa, President of Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

Mr. John Von Doussa, President of Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, said that since 11 September 2001, governments around the world have responded to the threat of terrorism with tough measures to protect the lives and security of their communities – to protect their fundamental human rights. New security measures gave government authorities unprecedented powers, which can seriously infringe the basic human rights of those against whom the powers were exercised. Yet the argument was heard; “Why worry about the human rights of those who are themselves showing contempt for the lives and rights of others?”  

He contended that under international law the human rights of both groups – the community at large and those who became the subject of counter-terrorism measures – must be protected. Established human rights principles allowed for an appropriate balancing of human rights and security to meet this end. Failure to achieve this balance undermined the effectiveness of security measures.