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The Implementation of Opcat in Australia

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The Implementation of Opcat in Australia THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OPCAT IN AUSTRALIA SUBMISSION BY THE AUSTRALIA OPCAT NETWORK TO THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PREVENTION OF TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT (SPT) AND THE UNITED NATIONS WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION (WGAD) JANUARY 2020 1 ABOUT THE AUSTRALIA OPCAT NETWORK The Australia OPCAT Network was formed in 2015, initially as a group of individuals interested in promoting the ratification by Australia of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). It has grown significantly since, consisting of individuals, non- government organisations and academics, as well as statutory and oversight agencies. The Network's objectives are to share information about OPCAT and the benefits of preventive monitoring more generally, and to promote OPCAT implementation in Australia. This submission draws extensively on input from Network members but does not purport to represent the views of all its participants. Because this submission is based on input from a range of members of the Network, it reflects their areas of focus and expertise. The submission does not purport to cover all issues comprehensively, nor does it cover all parts of Australia equally. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Australia OPCAT Network acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which this publication was produced. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ deep spiritual connection to this land. We extend our respects to community members and Elders past, present and emerging. We gratefully acknowledge input and advice from members of the Australia OPCAT Network in the preparation of this submission. We also received valuable advice from a diverse range of other agencies and individuals including detention visitors, service providers, legal representatives, academics and peak bodies. Where we have directly drawn upon their work, this is acknowledged in the footnotes in this submission, unless it was requested that we keep contributions anonymous. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the individuals who drafted the chapters of this submission. Chapter 1: Establishment of the NPM Written by Steven Caruana, Australia OPCAT Network and Churchill Fellow, with contributions from: Andreea Lachsz, Churchill Fellow Ben Buckland, Association for the Prevention of Torture Corinne Dobson, Independent Researcher Chapter 2: Immigration Madeline Gleeson, Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at UNSW Sydney Sahar Okhovat and Rebecca Eckard, Refugee Council of Australia Josef Szwarc, Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Mary Anne Kenny, Murdoch University Amy Nethery, Deakin University Claire Loughnan, University of Melbourne Chapter 3: People with Disability Written by Emma Phillips, Queensland Advocacy Incorporated, and Kate Finch, People with Disability Australia with contributions from: Piers Gooding, University of Melbourne Bonnie Millen, Advocacy for Inclusion Noel Muller, Disability OPCAT Group & CRPD Shadow Working Group 3 Chapter 4: Justice Written by Bronwyn Naylor, RMIT University, with contributions from: Danila Dilba Health Service Elizabeth Grant, RMIT University Tamar Hopkins, former principal solicitor of Flemington & Kensington Community Legal Centre; PhD student, UNSW Jesuit Social Services New South Wales Inspector of Custodial Services Victorian Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (VACRO) Victorian Commission for Children and Young People Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Victorian Ombudsman Chapter 5: Aged Care Written by Laura Grenfell, University of Adelaide, with contributions from Linda Steele, University of Technology Sydney Claire Loughnan, University of Melbourne Bonnie Millen, Advocacy for Inclusion Chapter 6: Perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Lead author: Jocelyn Jones, University of Western Australia, with contributions by: Thalia Anthony, University of Technology Sydney Michael Doyle, University of Sydney Andreea Lachsz, Churchill Fellow Meg Perkins, First Stop FASD Consultancy Hannah McGlade, Curtin University Megan Williams, University of Technology Sydney Steven Caruana was the overall coordinator of the preparation of this submission. Rajan Venkataraman (Civil Liberties Australia) reviewed the draft submission and provided editing assistance. 4 CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER 1: THE NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM ....................................................... 11 1.1 Legislative framework .............................................................................................. 11 1.1.1 Intergovernmental agreement .......................................................................... 13 1.1.2 SPT legislation ................................................................................................... 15 1.1.3 Ombudsman Amendment (National Preventive Mechanism) Regulations 2019 17 1.2 Scope of the National Preventive Mechanism........................................................... 19 1.2.1 Primary places of detention ............................................................................... 19 1.3 Designation of the National Preventive Mechanism ................................................. 21 1.3.1 Lack of transparency.......................................................................................... 21 1.3.2 The Commonwealth Ombudsman ..................................................................... 23 1.3.3 The Office of the Inspector of Custodial Services, Western Australia ................. 24 1.3.4 The Western Australian Ombudsman ................................................................ 26 1.4 Funding the National Preventive Mechanism ........................................................... 27 1.5 The National Preventive Mechanism and civil society engagement .......................... 29 1.6 Recommendations.................................................................................................... 32 1.7 Other useful resources ............................................................................................. 32 CHAPTER 2: IMMIGRATION DETENTION .............................................................................. 34 2.1 Identifying the places of immigration detention ....................................................... 34 2.1.1 Deprivation of liberty (on land) in Australia ....................................................... 34 2.1.2 Deprivation of liberty at sea .............................................................................. 35 2.1.3 Deprivation of liberty in the context of ‘offshore processing’ ............................ 35 2.2 Legal and policy frameworks for immigration detention ........................................... 36 2.2.1 General law and policy framework .................................................................... 36 2.2.2 Lack of review of the decision to detain ............................................................. 37 2.2.3 Indefinite detention of certain categories of unlawful non-citizens ................... 38 2.2.4 Visa cancellations and subsequent detention (or ‘re-detention’) ....................... 41 2.2.5 Lack of access to legal assistance and procedural fairness ................................. 43 2.2.6 Detention of transitory persons ......................................................................... 44 2.2.7 Detention at sea and offshore ........................................................................... 45 2.3 Historical snapshot of immigration detention ........................................................... 45 2.3.1 Number of people in detention ......................................................................... 45 5 2.3.2 Average length of time in immigration detention .............................................. 46 2.3.3 Demography and reasons for detention ............................................................ 47 2.3.4 Immigration detention facilities ......................................................................... 48 2.3.5 Lack of transparency in providing detention statistics ....................................... 49 2.4 The NPM responsible for places of immigration detention ....................................... 50 2.5 Key issues of concern in relation to immigration detention ...................................... 51 2.5.1 Treatment of people in immigration detention.................................................. 51 2.5.2 Inadequate provision of health care .................................................................. 56 2.5.3 Forced transfers within the detention network and deportations...................... 60 2.5.4 Detention of children ........................................................................................ 63 2.5.5 Specific concerns relevant to the treatment of people placed in APODs ............ 67 2.5.6 Offshore processing ........................................................................................... 68 2.5.7 Lack of transparency.......................................................................................... 71 2.5.8 Hostility to, and ineffectiveness of, current oversight mechanisms.................... 73 2.6 Recommendations.................................................................................................... 74
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