{{redirect|ACCL|Canadian trade union federation|All-Canadian Congress of Labour}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{use Australian English|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox organization | name = Liberty Victoria | former_name = Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL); Victorian Council for Civil Liberties (VCCL) | abbreviation = LV | formation = 1936 <!-- year ACCL established --> | founder = Brian Fitzpatrick | founding_location = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | type = Non-governmental organization | status = Incorporated association | headquarters = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | region_served = Victoria | leader_title = President | leader_name = Gemma Cafarella | main_organ = Committee | affiliations = [[Victorian Bar]] | website = [https://libertyvictoria.org.au/ libertyvictoria.org.au] | focus = Civil liberties, human rights, and free speech }} '''Liberty Victoria''', officially the '''Victorian Council for Civil Liberties''' ('''VCCL''') and formerly '''Australian Council for Civil Liberties''' ('''ACCL'''), is a [[civil liberties]] group based in [[Victoria, Australia]].
==History== The Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL) was established in [[Melbourne]] in 1936. Foundation member [[Brian Fitzpatrick (Australian author)|Brian Fitzpatrick]] led the organisation as general secretary until his death in 1965.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.history.unimelb.edu.au/Fitzpatrick/life.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823210248/http://www.history.unimelb.edu.au/Fitzpatrick/life.html| title=Life| website=Brian Fitzpatrick: Memorial website for an extraordinary man| archive-date=23 August 2006}}</ref><ref name=hist/>
In 1966, [[John Tuson Bennett]] and [[Beatrice Faust]] launched the Victorian Council of Civil Liberties (VCCL).<ref name=hist/> and Bennett served as its secretary until being expelled from the group in 1980. The new body had no ties with former council members, and no political and religious affiliations, unlike the ACCL, which was affiliated to the [[Labor Party of Australia|Labor Party]]. The VCCL focused largely on police matters, in particular their actions in response to [[List of protests against the Vietnam War|protests against the Vietnam War]] around 1970.<ref name=cla>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.cla.asn.au/Article/2018/chapter%204%20-%20VICTORIA%20180405.pdf| chapter=Chapter 4 – Victoria: Rocky road for the oldest civil liberties group |title= The people and organisations fighting for freedoms and liberties| first1= Kristine |last1=Klugman| first2= Bill |last2= Rowlings| url=https://www.cla.asn.au/News/who-we-are/| date=February 2021| quote=A new book in production...}}</ref>
Disagreements arose between conservative and radical members, and Bennett was expelled from the Labor Party, and in May 1980 the VCCL elected a new committee, without Bennett. Conflict ensued, with Bennett refusing to hand over control of the finances or membership list, and the matter went to court. While Bennett claimed to represent the VCCL, but in the same year formed a new body, the [[Australian Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU), and became known for being one of the leading [[Holocaust denier]]s in Australia.<ref name=cla/>
The council had held two fund-raising dinners in 1983 and 1984, to pay off debts incurred by legal action and to attract new members, and became an [[incorporation (business)|incorporated body]] in 1984. It underwent an organisational restructure, creating sub-committees focusing on policies such as [[criminal justice]] and [[minority rights]]. The new president was senior barrister [[Ron Castan]] QC. [[Gareth Evans (politician)|Gareth Evans]], later [[Attorney General of Australia]], served as vice-president for several years.<ref name=cla/>
In 1984 the council supported a Human Rights Bill, which did not get passed, and in 1985 opposed the introduction of a [[national identity card]], later called the [[Australia Card]]. It developed educational materials for [[secondary school]]s, raising [[ethical]] questions and human rights issues, and prepared written submissions to government on topics such as police powers, prisons, health and industrial affairs, as well as discussing such issues on radio.<ref name=cla/>
There were organisational changes in 1990 and again in 1998, with a new constitution. In 1995, the council was rebranded as Liberty Victoria, for media appeal and to put previous internal divisions behind them.<ref name=cla/>
In the 21st century came [[asylum seekers in Australia|Australia's treatment of asylum seekers]], the [[Tampa affair]], the "terror laws", and the extension of police powers, partly a result of politicians' scaremongering [[Law and order (politics)|law and order]] campaigns. There was another organisational overhaul in 2010.<ref name=cla/>
Liberty Victoria has always been supported by the [[Victorian Bar]],<ref name=cla/> and the position of president has often been held by retired [[Federal Court of Australia]] judges and lawyers, who have included [[Julian Burnside]], [[Chris Maxwell (jurist)|Chris Maxwell]] and [[Ron Merkel]].<ref name=hist>{{Cite web|title=History |url=https://libertyvictoria.org.au/history|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Liberty Victoria}}</ref>
==Mission and functions== Liberty Victoria aims to defend: individuals and organisations' rights to [[free speech]]; [[freedom of the press]]; [[freedom of assembly]]; and freedom from racial, religious or political discrimination.<ref name=ar2020>{{ cite book| url=https://libertyvictoria.org.au/sites/default/files/Liberty%20Victoria%202020%20Annual%20Report%20-%20Interactive.pdf| title=2019–2020 Annual Report |author= Liberty Victoria| date=2020}}</ref>
The organisation issues public statements and media releases, and is called upon by media and federal and state governments to debate or comment on a range of matters of [[public interest]].<ref name=ar2020/>
==Funding== Principal funding for the organisation comes from the awards dinners, and the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]] caused the 2020 live awards to be cancelled, which almost led to the demise of the organisation. However, sponsors donated enough to keep it afloat.<ref name=ar2020/>
== Voltaire Awards == {{distinguish|Voltaire Prize}} Liberty Victoria awards its Voltaire Human Rights Awards (Voltaire Awards) to "celebrate free speech and support Liberty Victoria's continued work to defend and extend civil liberties and [[human rights]] throughout Australia". The awards are named after the 18th century French writer and philosopher known as [[Voltaire]], known for advocating [[freedom of speech]] and civil liberties.<ref name=award>{{cite web | title=Liberty Victoria Voltaire Human Rights Awards | website=Liberty Victoria| url=https://libertyvictoria.org.au/content/liberty-victoria-voltaire-human-rights-awards | access-date=26 October 2021}}</ref> Apart from the main Voltaire Human Rights Award, there are two additional awards, the Young Voltaire Human Rights Award (since 2017) and the Empty Chair Human Rights Award (since 2016).<ref name=awarddinner2019>{{Cite web|title=Voltaire Award Dinner 2019|website= Liberty Victoria|url=https://libertyvictoria.org.au/content/voltaire-award-dinner-2019|access-date=2021-03-11}}</ref>
The choice of recipients has attracted criticism from radio presenter [[Neil Mitchell (radio presenter)|Neil Mitchell]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-03-20|title=Neil Mitchell critical of decision to hand 'free speech' gong to former ABC presenter|url=https://www.3aw.com.au/neil-mitchell-critical-of-decision-to-hand-free-speech-gong-to-former-abc-presenter/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=3AW|language=en}}</ref> Morgan Begg of the [[Institute of Public Affairs]],<ref name=begg>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-04|title=What part of free speech doesn't Liberty Victoria understand?| first= Morgan| last=BEgg|url=https://www.spectator.com.au/2017/05/free-speech-liberty-victoria/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=[[The Spectator]]}}</ref> and an opinion piece in ''[[The Australian]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 February 2021|title=Daniel Andrews trumps Gillian Triggs with ridiculous award nomination|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/daniel-andrews-trumps-gillian-triggs-with-ridiculous-award-nomination/news-story/feb31fdd774fc907cd7e61efefdf511f|access-date=2021-03-11|website=[[The Australian]]| url-access=subscription}}</ref>
=== Voltaire Human Rights Award recipients === * 2012: [[David Marr (journalist)|David Marr]], journalist<ref name=award/> * 2013: [[Arnold Zable]], writer and refugee advocate<ref name=award/> * 2014: [[Yu Shu Lipski]], interpreter and [[whistleblower]]<ref name=award/> * 2015: [[Peter Greste]], [[2013–15 detention of Al Jazeera journalists by Egypt|Baher Mohamed]] and [[Mohamed Fahmy (journalist)|Mohamed Fahmy]], ''[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]'' journalists detained in Egypt from 2013 to 2015<ref name=award/> * 2016: [[Waleed Aly]], academic, author, radio and TV presenter<ref name=award/> * 2017: [[Gillian Triggs]]<ref name=begg/><ref name=award/> * 2018: [[Magda Szubanski]], actor and advocate for [[same sex marriage in Australia]]<ref name=award/> * 2019: [[Debbie Kilroy]], prison reformer and founder of Sisters Inside<ref name=awarddinner2019/> * 2020: [[Dylan Alcott]], disability advocate<ref name=ar2020/><ref name=2020awardsyt>{{cite web| url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPCdn7A0Enk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/xPCdn7A0Enk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live| format=Video| website= YouTube| publisher=Liberty Victoria| title=2020 Liberty Victoria Voltaire Human Rights Awards Webinar| date=28 July 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref> * 2021: the children of [[Tanya Day]], who [[Aboriginal deaths in custody|died in custody]] * 2022: Brenda Appleton, trans rights advocate<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Voltaire Human Rights Awards {{!}} Liberty Victoria |url=https://libertyvictoria.org.au/content/2022-voltaire-human-rights-awards |access-date=2023-05-19 |website=libertyvictoria.org.au}}</ref> * 2023: Sophie Trevitt, lawyer and advocate for raising the [[age of criminal responsibility]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Trevitt |first=Sophie |date=2023-05-19 |title=Not caging children under 14 is the bare minimum we can do to not torture kids |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/may/19/not-caging-children-under-14-is-the-bare-minimum-we-can-do-to-not-torture-kids |access-date=2023-05-19 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
===Young Voltaire Human Rights Award recipients=== * 2018: [[Yassmin Abdel-Magied]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yassmin Abdel-Magied wins free speech award|url=https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/yassmin-abdelmagied-wins-free-speech-award-takes-t/3365173/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=Northern Star|language=en}}</ref> * 2020: [[Dujuan Hoosan]] (who featured in the documentary film ''[[In My Blood It Runs]]''), advocate for increasing the [[age of criminal responsibility]] from 10 to 14 and improving education for [[Indigenous Australian]] children<ref name=ar2020/><ref name=2020awardsyt/> * 2021: Mohamed Semra<ref name=award/> * 2022: Sitarah Mohammadi and Sajjad Askary (Joint Recipients), members of the Action for Afghanistan campaign
=== Empty Chair Human Rights Award=== * 2020: [[Bernard Collaery]] and Witness J, joint award<ref name=ar2020/><ref name=2020awardsyt/> * 2021: accepted by [[Craig Foster]] and Mostafar Azimitibar<ref name=award/> * 2022: Mehdi Ali, a refugee from Iran who had been held in detention by Australia since 2013
== Notable activities == In January 2021 Liberty Victoria opposed border closures in Australia in response to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-06|title=Liberty Victoria hits out at 'draconian' border closure leaving Victorians shunned|url=https://www.3aw.com.au/draconian-decision-to-shun-victorians-in-nsw-criticised-by-rights-advocates/|access-date=2021-03-11|website=3AW|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ward|first=Tammy Mills, Michael Fowler, Mary|date=2021-01-12|title=Call for more clarity on border closure triggers|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/call-for-more-clarity-on-border-closure-triggers-20210112-p56tl2.html|access-date=2021-03-11|website=The Age|language=en}}</ref> It also objected after [[Facebook]] briefly included a number of philanthropic organisations in its sweeping ban of Australian-based publishers, in response to the [[Morrison government]]'s proposed media bargaining laws in February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Clun|first=Liam Mannix, Rachel|date=2021-02-18|title='Deeply unethical': Royal Children's Hospital, Neighbourhood Watch Victoria hit by Facebook ban|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/deeply-unethical-royal-children-s-hospital-neighbourhood-watch-victoria-hit-by-facebook-ban-20210218-p573ne.html|access-date=2021-03-11|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|https://libertyvictoria.org.au/home}}
[[Category:Civil rights and liberties in Australia]] [[Category:Political organisations based in Australia]] [[Category:Human rights organisations based in Australia]]