[JURIST] Three UN human rights experts urged the Australian state of Tasmania on Tuesday not to adopt legislation [Bill 15, PDF] against protests that disrupt businesses. The experts expressed concern that the new law would silence legitimate and lawful protests. The government argues the proposed bill is necessary to protect businesses from disruption by protesters. The bill prohibits protests on private or public property that hinder access to business premises or disrupt business operations. Mandatory penalties include fines up to 100,000 Australian dollars for organizations and 10,000 Australian dollars for individuals. The experts also argue that the bill is disproportionate and specifically targets environmental issues; Tasmania has been a focus of debate and demonstrations on environmental concerns. Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye stated: “The bill would have the chilling effect of silencing dissenters and outlawing speech protected by international human rights law.” The experts urge Tasmania to be consistent with Australia’s international commitments.

In March Australia co-sponsored UN Human Rights Council‘s [official website resolution 25/38 [text, pdf] on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests. The UN Human Rights Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights worldwide, including the freedom of opinion and expression. Peaceful protests can make a positive contribution to democracies. In March the UN called for stronger protection [JURIST report] of activists.