Welcome to the Victorian Government Human Rights Portal

The Human Rights Portal is a joint initiative of VGSO and the Human Rights Unit in DJR. It is designed to be a resource for Victorian Public Servants to enable you to fulfill your obligations under the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (referred to as the Charter).

In person training can also be provided to teams across the Victorian Public Service, in addition to the resources found on this site (see the information under the training tab above).

The site aims to provide extensive human rights information for government staff who need to develop or review policy and legislation or provide legal advice on Charter issues.

Human Rights Updates

  • Thursday, January 25, 2018: Case Summary- Minogue v Dougherty

    Minogue v Dougherty - 6 December 2017

    This judgement deals with four related proceedings brought by Craig Minogue alleging unlawful interferences with his mail at Barwon Prison.

    Two of the proceedings related to conduct of a junior... Read More

  • Tuesday, March 22, 2016: De Bruyn v Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Supreme Court of Victoria)

    This case concerned whether a patient's human rights were breached when a Victorian mental health hospital implemented a smoke free policy (smoking ban). The Court held that: (i) the hospital did not fail to give proper consideration to the... Read More

  • Thursday, January 21, 2016: Goode v Common Equity Housing (VCAT)

    VCAT originally dismissed Ms Goode’s discrimination claims in 2013, but did not consider her Charter arguments. She successfully appealed to the Supreme Court on this point and the matter was remitted back to VCAT to be heard and decided again.... Read More

  • Wednesday, December 30, 2015: ZEH (Guardinship) (VCAT)

    This case concerned an application to VCAT by the parents of an intellectually disabled woman for VCAT's consent to perform a tubal ligation as a form of permanent contraception. VCAT was not satisfied that there was a therapeutic basis for the... Read More

  • Wednesday, December 16, 2015: Hoskin v Greater Bendigo City Council (Court of Appeal)

    This case concerned objections to the proposed building of a mosque in Bendigo. The court held that the Tribunal did not err in its merits review, in particular in its decision that there is no requirement for a social impact assessment and that... Read More

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