The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities
Course Overview
The Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities was introduced to the Victorian Parliament by the Attorney-General in May 2006. The Charter was passed by Parliament and came into effect on 1 January 2007. Victoria is the first Australian state to have a Charter of Human Rights.
As of 1 January 2008, the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 imposes an obligation on all public authorities to act in a way that is compatible with human rights.
Human rights are an integral part of our everyday activities. Everyday, human rights are considered through policy development, managing staff or dealing with the public. The introduction of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities simply enshrines the four key values. "Human rights" has also been included as one of the key public sector values under the Public Administration Act 2004. This means that all public officials should respect and promote human rights and, in particular, public service heads must ensure that human rights are upheld.
Key Content
The Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities learning module gives employees an understanding of the important issues that are applicable as a member of a Victorian public authority. The course content creates awareness amongst employees about the rights and responsibilities that are particularly relevant to their specific role. Topics include:- What are human rights?
- Why are human rights important?
- Why do we need a Charter?
- What is the Charter and what does it do?
- What rights are protected?
- What is the impact of the Charter of Human Rights on the Victorian public sector?
- Does the Charter of Human Rights impact on the Code of Conduct?
- Does the Charter impact all public authorities?
- The application of the Charter to functions and job roles specific to your organisation.
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this module, learners should be able to:- Identify what human rights are and why they are important.
- Understand the importance behind the Charter.
- Identify to whom the Charter of Human Rights applies.
- Identify the ways in which human rights are protected.
- Recognise how the Charter applies to their specific job role.