About
The Castan Centre is a world-renowned academic centre using its human rights expertise to create a more just world where human rights are respected and protected, allowing people to pursue their lives in freedom and with dignity. The Centre’s innovative approach to public engagement and passion for human rights are redefining how an academic institution can create important and lasting change.
The Centre is named after the late Ron Castan AM QC, a passionate advocate of human rights.
Who we are
Our team at the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law is comprised of:
- The governance office-holders
- The Academic Members, who come from the Faculty of Law at Monash University and also potentially from other Faculties or institutions
- The Affiliate Members, who come from the HDR cohort of the Faculty
- The staff
What we do
We have over 20 years of experience in human rights research, education, training, consultancy and writing human rights reports and submissions for the betterment of our communities, both locally and globally. We utilise the Centre’s world-class human rights expertise to influence public debate and government policy by providing impartial and independent views on important human rights issues to government, engaging regularly with traditional and mainstream media. For more, you can read our annual reports.
We aim to
- Influence government policy and legislation
- Provide accessible public education on human rights
- Provide students with outstanding opportunities
We work to influence legislation and government policy, improve government officials' understanding of human rights in Australia and elsewhere and nurture the next generation of human rights leaders through our outstanding student programs that include sending students each year to leading human rights organisations as part of our Global Intern program.
We also help educate the public on important and current human rights issues. We host numerous free events throughout the year, as well as Australia’s only human rights conference.
In October 2020, the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law celebrated 20 years.