History shows Australian laws have left minorities marginalised. A Human Rights Act would help fix that | Michael Kirby
![History shows Australian laws have left minorities marginalised. A Human Rights Act would help fix that | Michael Kirby](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/903446e72025d2e3df1c6ac0bf4c2049465c9a96/0_371_5568_3341/master/5568.jpg?width=460&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=41fd5c8fb5961e810b3fc5ca60ec5ec9)
Instead of inquiries and apologies, a bill of rights could give people access to justice and ensure governments are held to account
I was first taught about human rights at primary school, in the public education system of New South Wales. I had a very good fifth year teacher, Mr Gorringe. He gave his students something valuable that had come from the United Nations in New York. It was printed on lightweight aerogram paper, which I had never seen before.
The year was 1949, and the world was reeling from the horrors of the second world war. An Australian, Dr HV Evatt, was president of the United Nations general assembly. He had just helped create an important document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was a copy of this document that my teacher gave me.
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