Aboriginal Law Bulletin --- "Update Part One April 1993: Obituary -- Trisha Ann Boyd; International Human Rights Treaty Bodies" [1993] AboriginalLawB 7; (1993) 3(61) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Update Part One April 1993
• Obituary – Trisha Ann Boyd
• Born 25 March 1952 Passed Away 6 December 1992
• International Human Rights Treaty Bodies
• Attention Ngos

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Update Part One
April 1993

Obituary – Trisha Ann Boyd

Born 25 March 1952
Passed away 6 December 1992

Trish was born in Cairns to Patrick (Deceased) and Enid Boyd - nee Mossman, and was baptized at Saint John's Anglican Church, Cairns. She attended school at Cairns Central from the age of four years and eleven months. Never taking school work seriously, she always achieved top marks when exams came around. She then attended Cairns High during the Sixties and in later years remarked "Aboriginal kids were never given help to achieve, like they are today." She went on to various jobs including baby sitting and working at the local Meat Works.

Deciding to leave Cairns in 1968 she moved to Sydney to be with her sister Mary. This was to help raise her eldest nephew, whom she named. Not long after she met her husband, Kees. They had two beautiful children, Kirsten and Luke. Mary remembers when Kirsten was born, she had red hair, but this later changed to blonde. Trish gave Luke 'four' names, of which she remarked that he sounded like Royalty.

Trish later returned home and completed a course at the Cairns Business College. She was taught by Mrs Hendricks - her teacher from years before at Cairns High. She later returned to Sydney, acquiring a position with St. George Technical College as a Secretary. This was her stepping stone to achieving a Higher School Certificate.

She had dreams of becoming a Historian. This later changed after an incident at the Cairns Police Station. This incident left her "powerless" commenting ‘That this would never happen to her again.’ She decided to change her interest from history to studying Law. With continuing support from her husband, family and friends she graduated in 1989 from the University of NSW with a degree in Law.

After graduating she acquired a position as the first Aboriginal person to work for Legal Aid in Australia. Over a period of three years she gained considerable experience in all aspects of Law. Trish then moved across to a position with the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. During these last six months she travelled to Yarrabah for a conference which discussed the Mabo Case and Land Rights. Being a firm believer in Women's Rights she encouraged the Palm Island ladies to ask for more compensation.

Trish was involved with various organisations. She always found time to speak with students at High Schools, Primary Schools and TAFE Colleges., remarking "With a lot of hard work one could achieve and be what one wanted to be." Her family and friends agree that Trish always availed herself to give advice, whether personal or legal. She never turned anyone away. She will be remembered for always having a good laugh and having a top personality, always finding it easy to make friends.

Trish is survived by her husband Kees, daughter Kirsten and son Luke. To those who knew, admired and loved TRISH she will be remembered as "OUR PRIDE AND JOY." A REAL ACHIEVER!

International Human Rights Treaty Bodies

The following report is drawn from the International Service for Human Rights publication Human Rights Monitor No. 19 (December 1992) p.13.

Attention NGOs

The human rights treaty bodies are starved for information from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Where it was once frowned upon or even discouraged, today the Committees do not hide their desire to receive reliable and useful information on the countries on the agenda of their meetings.

During the Chairpersons' meeting in October, the Secretariat was requested to provide comprehensive country dossiers including "all available information from non-governmental sources and relevant press reports". In addition the Chairpersons "strongly urge(d) all non-governmental organizations in the human rights' field, at both the international and national levels, to seek to provide as much relevant information as possible to the treaty bodies and to do so on a systematic and timely basis".

Information from NGOs can be submitted to all Committees to aid in the preparation of consideration of State party reports. Officially, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is the only Committee that allows NGOs in consultative status with ECOSOC to submit written statements. Other Committees "may invite" NGOs to provide them with information that can help Committees carry out additional tasks. For example, the Committee against Torture seeks information on "well-founded indications that torture is being systematically practiced" on the territory of a State party.

It is apparent that information provided by NGOs can have a great impact in the treaty bodies. The intense scrutiny of only a few countries during a session allows for a more careful consideration of human rights violations in a particular country. As the Committees receive little information from NGOs, information that is provided assumes even greater importance in the examination of reports.

NGOs in possession of reliable and useful information on the countries on the agenda of the forthcoming session should send copies to the Committees. The best approach is to send a copy to each expert on the Committee in individually addressed envelopes, with an additional copy for the Centre for Human Rights. The Secretariat of the Committee will pass the information on to the experts concerned. Address: Secretariat of the (insert Committee name), Centre for Human Rights, United Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10. It may also be advisable for NGOs to send copies to the States concerned or at least to their Permanent Missions in Geneva.

Although it can be difficult to obtain information regarding the human rights treaty bodies, the International Service is often able to provide the list of countries to be examined at forthcoming sessions and document codes for obtaining State party reports.

Questions regarding treaty bodies should be addressed to:

Ms Laura Theytaz-Bergman, Program Officer,
International Service for Human Rights,
1 Rue de Varembe,
P.O. Box 16,1211 Geneva 20,
Switzerland,
Phone: [phone],
Fax: [phone].

The Australian Government reports periodically to the following treaty bodies:

• The Human Rights Committee (for the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights).
• The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR -for the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).
• The Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD - for the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination).
• The Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW - for the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women).
• The Committee Against Torture (CAT - for the International Convention Against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Punishment or Treatment).
• The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CROC - for the International Convention on the Rights of the Child).

Australia's periodic report to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights will be examined at the Committee's 8th Session in Geneva, 10-28 May 1993. The Aboriginal Law Centre is willing to advise any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander groups wishing to submit information to treaty bodies.

Garth Nettheim