Vol. 41 No. 3 (2022): The University of Queensland Law Journal
Articles

What Did Queenslanders Think of Human Rights in 2021? An Attitudinal Survey

Sarah Joseph
Griffith University
Susan Harris Rimmer
Griffith University

Published 2022-11-22

Keywords

  • human rights,
  • Queensland,
  • attitudinal survey,
  • Queensland Human Rights Act

Abstract

In late July 2021, we conducted a survey of attitudes to human rights in Queensland, as well as to the new Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld). Our empiric research questions include: what are community attitudes to human rights; how do people perceive the level of respect and protection for human rights in Queensland; how do attitudes differ between certain demographic groups regarding human rights and the enjoyment of those rights in Queensland; how well does the public know the Human Rights Act, and how should human rights be enforced in Queensland? Our overall question addresses how these results may guide recommendations for human right policy moving forward, including the implementation of legislation in a manner that promotes and protects human rights at a community level.