Schwartz, Melanie; Durbach, Andrea --- "Editorial: In Celebration" [2007] HRightsDef 1; (2007) 16(1) Human Rights Defender 1

Editorial

Melanie Schwartz & Andrea Durbach

It is with enormous sadness that we farewell our dear friend and colleague, Ronni Redman. Ronni was a remarkable and inspirational editor of the AHRC Human Rights Defender and an endless supporter of the AHRC and its work. Her driving force, humour, rigour and tenacity are things we will treasure and miss very much. We include as tributes to Ronni extracts from her eulogy and dedications from two of her student editor interns and from her longtime co-editor, Alan Morris. We are also pleased to report that the UNSW Faculty of Law is supporting the establishment of a human rights prize in Ronni’s name.

This commemorative issue of the Defender celebrates both Ronni’s contribution and the AHRC’s 21st Anniversary. In the pages that follow, Garth Nettheim, Andrew Byrnes and Andrea Durbach track the history and development of the AHRC since the inception of the Law Faculty at UNSW.

Five of the most compelling and enduringly relevant pieces from the published history of the Defender have been selected for re-publication, along with new commentaries from experts on the issues addressed by the articles. The articles focus on the Australian context: Indigenous affairs are addressed by Megan Davis and Sean Brennan; the refugee discussion is taken up by Frank Stilwell, Ann Grealis and Julian Burnside, with comment by Margaret Piper and Jane McAdam; Danielle Celermajer and Ben Saul discuss issues relating to terrorism; and Andrea Durbach addresses lessons from South Africa for the future of human rights in Australia, with comment from Martin Krygier.

Also featured in the issue is a retrospective piece by Elizabeth Evatt examining recent changes in Australian participation in and approach to international human rights development.

We are delighted to welcome a new Defender editorial team: Justine Nolan (Law), Melanie Schwartz (Law), Claudia Tazreiter (Arts and Social Sciences), Amber Rowe (AHRC Administrator) and semester one student editor intern, Holly Lam. Our thanks to Glen Jeffreys for all his wonderful creative work over many years and to former Defender coeditor, Alan Morris.

The editorial team had the difficult job of reviewing years of Defender back issues and selecting a few pieces for re-publication from many passionate and

thought-provoking offerings. One short-listed article, written by Andre Frankovits (then Executive Director of the Human Rights Council of Australia), was called Howard’s “outstanding human rights record” (Sept 1997 Vol 6 Number 3). It quotes a comment made by Prime Minister Howard to Parliament on Human Rights Day in 1996: “Many people in this country when they talk about human rights and when they talk about discrimination and tolerance are very fond of apologising for Australia. I am not one of those. I think that Australia has an outstanding human rights record. I think we are an outstandingly tolerant people”.

Since its inception, the Defender has sought to map discussion and present analysis on topics such as Australia’s human rights record. A selection is presented in this special edition along with commentary on how the Australian position has developed since the articles were originally published. The articles we include in this issue may suggest a contrary interpretation of the Prime Minister’s 1996 comment. We look forward to hearing your reflections.

Melanie Schwartz, co-editor, Human Rights Defender Andrea Durbach, Director, Australian Human Rights Centre

Human Rights Defender