The Charter gives the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission a statutory right to intervene in legal proceedings where a question of law arises about the application of the Charter or the interpretation of another law in light of the Charter. Whether the Commission exercises the right to intervene is a matter for its discretion.
The Commission has made submissions in a number of cases about how the Charter applies and the scope of the human rights it protects.
Interventions have varied in subject-matter from criminal procedure and fair trial rights, to the best interests of the child in adoption proceedings, to the duties of VCAT when making decisions about guardianship.
Please follow the links below to the Commission’s submissions, listed in order the date of submission.
Section 4 What is a public authority?
- Fertility Control Clinic v Melbourne City Council - April 2015
- PJB v Melbourne Health (Patrick’s Case) (Supreme Court) - Apr 2011
- RJE v Secretary to the Department of Justice (Court of Appeal) - Nov 2008
- Kracke v Mental Health Review Board (VCAT) - Nov 2008Kracke v Mental Health Review Board (VCAT) - Nov 2008
Section 6 Application of the Charter
- Cemino v Cannan and Ors - Jan 2018
- The Queen v Chaouk & Ors (Court of Appeal) - May 2013
- A & B v Children’s Court of Victoria (Supreme Court) - October 2012
- Victorian Toll & Anor v Taha and Anor; State of Victoria v Brookes & Anor (Court of Appeal) - August 2012
- Taha v Magistrates’ Court (Supreme Court) - Jun 2011
- PJB v Melbourne Health (Patrick’s Case) (Supreme Court) - Apr 2011
- The Queen v Kabalan Mokbel (Supreme Court) - Oct 2010
- R v Fenech, Murone and Fenech (County Court) - Mar 2009
- RJE v Secretary to the Department of Justice (Court of Appeal) - Nov 2008
- Kracke v Mental Health Review Board (VCAT) - Nov 2008
Section 7 Human rights - what they are and when they may be limited
- Fertility Control Clinic v Melbourne City Council - April 2015
- Slattery v Manningham City Council - Jun 2013
- The Queen v Chaouk & Ors (Court of Appeal) - May 2013
- Victorian Toll & Anor v Taha and Anor; State of Victoria v Brookes & Anor (Court of Appeal) - August 2012
- DPP v Leys and Leys (Court of Appeal) - July 2012
- Christian Youth Camps v Cobaw Community Health Services (Court of Appeal) - June 2012
- Bare v Small (Supreme Court) - May 2012
- Aitken & Ors v State of Victoria - Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (VCAT) - December 2011
- Momcilovic v The Queen (High Court) - Sep 2011
- PJB v Melbourne Health (Patrick’s Case) (Supreme Court) - Apr 2011
- Raytheon Exemption Application (VCAT) - Apr 2011
- Peel Hotel Exemption Application (VCAT) - Dec 2010
- The Queen v Kabalan Mokbel (Supreme Court) - Oct 2010
- Cobaw Community Health Services v Christian Youth Camps (VCAT) - Submission - Jul 2010
- BMV v Secretary to the Department of Justice (Court of Appeal) - Dec 2009
- Travel Sisters Exemption Application - Nov 2009
- Victorian Electoral Commission Exemption Application - Sep 2009
- Director of Public Transport v XFJ (Supreme Court) - Sep 2009
- Momcilovic v The Queen (Court of Appeal) - Jun 2009
- R v Fenech, Murone and Fenech (County Court) - Mar 2009
- Kracke v Mental Health Review Board (VCAT) - Nov 2008
Section 32 Interpretation
Submissions post-Momcilovic v The Queen (2011) 245 CLR 1
- Cemino v Cannan and Ors - Jan 2018
- Fertility Control Clinic v Melbourne City Council - April 2015
- Nigro v Secretary to the Department of Justice (Court of Appeal) - December 2012
- Victorian Toll & Anor v Taha and Anor; State of Victoria v Brookes & Anor (Court of Appeal) - August 2012
- Christian Youth Camps v Cobaw Community Health Services (Court of Appeal) – June 2012
- DPP v Leys and Leys (Court of Appeal) – July 2012
- Christian Youth Camps v Cobaw Community Health Services (Court of Appeal) – June 2012
- Bare v Small (Supreme Court) — May 2012
- Aitken & Ors v State of Victoria – Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (VCAT) – December 2011
- Momcilovic v The Queen (High Court) - Sep 2011
Submissions pre-Momcilovic v The Queen (2011) 245 CLR 1
- Taha v Magistrates’ Court (Supreme Court) - Jun 2011
- PJB v Melbourne Health (Patrick’s Case) (Supreme Court) - Apr 2011
- DPP v Ali & Anor (No 2) (Supreme Court) - Aug 2010
- Cobaw Community Health Services v Christian Youth Camps (VCAT) - Submission - Jul 2010
- BMV v Secretary to the Department of Justice (Court of Appeal) - Dec 2009
- Director of Public Transport v XFJ (Supreme Court) - Sep 2009
- Momcilovic v The Queen (Court of Appeal) - Jun 2009
- R v Fenech, Murone and Fenech (County Court) - Mar 2009
- Re Application under the Major Crime (Investigative Powers) Act 2004 (Supreme Court) – February 2009
- RJE v Secretary to the Department of Justice (Court of Appeal) - Nov 2008
- Kracke v Mental Health Review Board (VCAT) - Nov 2008
Section 38 Conduct of public authorities
- Cemino v Cannan and Ors - Jan 2018
- Fertility Control Clinic v Melbourne City Council - April 2015
- Slattery v Manningham City Council - Jun 2013
- The Queen v Chaouk & Ors (Court of Appeal) - May 2013
- Bare v Small (Supreme Court) — May 2012
- Momcilovic v The Queen (High Court) - Sep 2011
- PJB v Melbourne Health (Patrick’s Case) (Supreme Court) - Apr 2011
- Raytheon Exemption Application (VCAT) - Apr 2011
- Peel Hotel Exemption Application (VCAT) - Dec 2010
- Waters v DHS (Supreme Court) - Sep 2010
- Baumgartner (Mental Health Review Board) - Jul 2010
- Castles v Secretary to the Department of Justice - May 2010
- Travel Sisters Exemption Application - Nov 2009
- Victorian Electoral Commission Exemption Application - Sep 2009
- Director of Public Transport v XFJ (Supreme Court) - Sep 2009
- Kracke v Mental Health Review Board (VCAT) - Nov 2008