The National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention will hold its first public hearings in Melbourne today to hear from interested parties about children in detention.
The National Inquiry was set up in late 2001 to inquire into the adequacy and appropriateness of Australia’s treatment of child asylum seekers and other children who are, or have been, held in immigration detention.
The terms of reference are available on the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission website at www.humanrights.gov.au/human_rights/children_detention/
Human Rights Commissioner Dr Sev Ozdowski is chairing the inquiry. Dr Robin Sullivan, Commissioner for Children and Young People in Queensland and Prof Trang Thomas, Professor of Psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology are Assistant Commissioners to the Inquiry.
The hearings were arranged to hear from people who have expertise in the fields of education, health, psychological health, legal issues, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international instruments as well as people who have direct experience with refugees and asylum seekers and in particular, children in detention. The hearings will allow people who have made written submissions to expand on those submissions and to allow the Inquiry to test their evidence.
The Inquiry Commissioners and staff of the National Inquiry also plan to visit all places of detention in Australia to gather evidence – including the immigration reception and processing centres commonly referred to as Maribyrnong, Villawood, Curtin, Woomera, Pt Hedland and Perth airport and places such as schools and hostels (established as part of the alternative detention trial project at Woomera) designated as “places of detention”.
Public hearings will also be held in Perth, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane. The National Inquiry will also take evidence in camera and will be interviewing families who have been in detention, including children.
The Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs and the detention centre operator Australasian Correctional Management will have the opportunity to give evidence. DIMIA is scheduled to give evidence in mid August.
Want more? The provision is there and is used. Obviously if material is sensitive the "camera concept" is the way to go.
What could be more sensitive for the Israelis than their security?
I hope you don't fall into this category.
From the Kahan Report
We do not deceive ourselves that the results of this inquiry will convince or satisfy those who have prejudices or selective consciences, but this inquiry was not intended for such people. We have striven and have spared no effort to arrive at the truth, and we hope that all persons of good will who will examine the issue without prejudice will be convinced that the inquiry was conducted without any bias.
