Our Everyday Essentials – Why South Australia Needs A Human Rights Act

Today – 10 December 2025 – its International Human Rights Day.  A day to commemorate and reemphasise the universal nature of human rights.

Australia is a signatory to various human rights treaties that include the right to an adequate standard of living, food, clothing and housing, and to the continuous improvement of living conditions.

In this period of turbulence and unpredictability, where many feel a growing sense of insecurity and disconnection and worry for the future, it is critical to reaffirm the values of fairness, dignity and human rights and show that they remain a winning proposition for humanity. 

This is why the United Nations has focused on human rights as our ‘every day essentials’ for the  theme of Human Rights Day  The aim is to re-engage people with human rights by showing how they shape our daily lives, often in ways we may not always notice. Too often taken for granted or seen as abstract ideas, human rights are the essentials we rely on every day.

Many South Australians take their human rights for granted too, in fact many believe we already have a Human Rights Act or Bill of Rights – but we don’t.  Other South Australians are acutely aware of this lack of legal protection, as they experience treatment or services that fall below universal standards of fairness or dignity.

A Human Rights law for South Australia would help reaffirm the central and shared character of human rights in our community- and serve as a reminder that human rights, fairness and equality should be at the heart of all government decision making.

The South Australian Parliament’s Social Development Committee agrees, and has also recommended the enactment of a Human Rights Act, and the establishment of a Human Rights Commission for South Australia. This recommendation, supported by Committee members from a range of political parties, came after a 16-month inquiry into the effectiveness of current laws and mechanisms for protecting human rights in South Australia. It heard from more than 130 organisations and individuals who shared stories about the loss of dignity, humiliation, discrimination, and barriers in access to justice experienced by their friends, family and loved ones. Their stories reveal significant gaps in the state’s current legal protections that leave too many South Australians to fall through the cracks. These include beloved elderly parents being denied dignity in aged care, people with disabilities experiencing abuse and neglect, single parents struggling to secure housing and kids in poverty missing on their childhoods.  More than 90% of the submissions received supported the enactment of a Human Rights Act, and saw such a law as a way to help prevent crises and harm, and unite communities around values and principles we share.

We’ve already seen how human rights laws in Victoria, Queensland and the ACT have made a difference to people's lives – from overturning unjust eviction notices, safeguarding access to medical treatment, and stopping children from being locked up in cruel conditions. A Human Rights Law has also recently been introduced into the NSW Parliament that includes recognition of rights to housing and the right to a clean, healthy environment.

People in South Australia deserve to have these rights protected too.

A South Australian Human Rights Act would require government decision-makers to consider human rights when drafting laws and policies. It would give individuals a clear avenue to challenge decisions that violate their rights—whether through the courts or the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Importantly, it would not be an abstract document. It would be a practical safeguard. In other jurisdictions, human rights laws have helped domestic violence victims secure education for their children, prevented homeless families from being evicted without warning, and ensured mental health treatments are properly reviewed.

Human rights are our everyday essentials—but they need legal protection. South Australia deserves a Human Rights Act that enshrines fairness, dignity, and equality in law.

You can help make this happen. Join the campaign and take action today