Liberty Victoria

21/05/2026

11/05/2026

Liberty Victoria, together with Pride in Law, is proud to present our joint submission to the ‘Inquiry into anti-LGBTIQA+ hate crimes in Victoria’.

Our submission examines the challenges and limitations of existing legal frameworks and mechanisms available to respond to anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes, highlighting critical gaps in current systems and recommending reforms to better support victim-survivors.

While Victoria’s legal framework provides multiple compensation pathways, structural barriers continue to prevent many victim-survivors from accessing meaningful redress. The submission also explores how the positive duty under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) could be used to require social media and digital platforms to proactively address discriminatory and abusive behaviour on their services.

Further recommendations include strengthening the powers and resourcing of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, removing automatic religious exceptions under the Act, and addressing ongoing failures in the recognition, reporting, and enforcement of LGBTQIA+ hate crimes across the criminal justice system.

Read the full submission here:https://libertyvictoria.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Pride-in-Law-Liberty-Victoria-Joint-Submissions-to-Parliamentary-Enquiry-into-Hate-Crime.pdf

08/05/2026

We have extended nominations for the 2026 Liberty Victoria Human Rights Awards until 15 May 2026.

We encourage you to help us recognise outstanding individuals whose work continues to advance human rights, justice and free speech.

The awards seek to recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to civil liberties, human rights, and free speech, with particular emphasis on progressing freedom, respect, equality, dignity, and action.

In 2025, awards were presented to Dr Mohammed Mustafa, Plestia Al Aqad, and Uncle Percy Lovett.

Nominations are sought for the following three awards:

The Voltaire Human Rights Award
To a person or organisation for outstanding contribution to or action on civil liberties, human rights, and free speech, with particular emphasis on progressing freedom, respect, equality, and dignity.

The Sophie Trevitt AM Award
To a person or organisation for outstanding contribution to or action on civil liberties, human rights, and free speech, with particular emphasis on progressing freedom, respect, equality, and dignity. This award will be given to a person no older than 30 on 30 June 2026.

The Empty Chair Human Rights Award
The Empty Chair Award will be presented in 2026 to a person who is worthy to receive the Voltaire Human Rights Award or Sophie Trevitt AM Award but cannot be present to receive the award due to the consequences of their exercise of or advocacy for civil liberties, human rights, and free speech.

We would love you to nominate a person or group who you believe deserves recognition for their contribution to civil liberties and human rights.

You can nominate as many people as you like in each category. Nominations are not limited to 'natural persons' – organisations and other groups of people and movements are also eligible.

Current members of Liberty Victoria’s committees are not eligible to be nominated.

Nominations have been extended and will now close in one week on 15 May 2026!

We look forward to receiving your nominations. Please find the nomination form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6PGOnpypiRq-tmFpzQZNLizojhJKJmtI2PBBc5cUTb7udpQ/viewform

09/04/2026

Call for Liberty Victoria Voltaire Human Rights Awards nominations

The Liberty Victoria Human Rights Awards is an important event in the Australian human rights calendar.

The awards seek to recognise those who have made outstanding contributions to civil liberties, human rights, and free speech, with particular emphasis on progressing freedom, respect, equality, dignity, and action. We have chosen to emphasise action on freedom, respect, equality, and dignity as four pillars of civil liberties and human rights.

We now seek nominations for the 2026 Liberty Victoria Human Rights Awards.

Nominations close on 1 May 2026.

You can find the nomination form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/u/1/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6PGOnpypiRq-tmFpzQZNLizojhJKJmtI2PBBc5cUTb7udpQ/viewform?authuser=1

12/03/2026

On 10 March 2026, we were pleased to give evidence with our colleagues from NSW Council for Civil Liberties to the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor’s review of the definition of a ‘terrorist act’ under Australian law.

You can watch our evidence, given by Michael Stanton SC and Rabea Khan, at the link below.

We know that the threat of terrorism is real, made all too clear by the horrific events at Bondi. We need to ensure that our anti-terrorism regime is fit for purpose. We need to improve the regime by sharpening its focus.

Over the past 25 years, anti-terrorism powers (which were intended to be temporary) have been continuously expanded. Some powers that challenge the foundational legal principles have been normalised.

We support removing the stand-alone motive of ‘religion’ from the definition of 'terrorist act'. It is unnecessary. Other motivations can encompass religious extremism (having a political or ideological motivation).

The search for religious motivation affects intelligence gathering and investigations. It can lead to the collective blaming of Muslim communities and Islamophobia. It can also lead to a breakdown in trust between security agencies and minority communities.

We support the INSLM’s draft definition of ideological cause. Religious extremism would be encompassed by the definition, and it would ensure that other diffuse ideologies would also meet the definition.

We support amending the requisite intention for committing a terrorist act 'to provoke a state of terror'. The current test of intimidation is too broad. The anti-terrorism regime sits alongside robust anti-hate laws which have an important role with regard to vilification.

Property damage that can constitute a terrorism offence should be limited to critical infrastructure. Damage to other kinds of property, when not intended to harm people, should be dealt with through the anti-vilification regime.

We know these laws, and the fear of terrorism, can be used to as a foundation to seek to increase executive power, surveillance and censorship. We must be vigilant that our anti-terrorism regime remains exceptional and properly focused.

https://vimeo.com/1167547656?fl=pl&fe=cm =1h12s