The Australian Government has announced that it will consider whether Australia should adopt legal measures to impose sanctions upon individuals who commit gross human rights violations across the world. Senator the Hon David Fawcett, Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, announced today a new parliamentary inquiry to examine the issue.
For this purpose, I now invite and encourage all concerned individuals and organisations to make submissions addressing any or all of the terms of reference (detailed below) to the committee for the inquiry by Friday, 31st January 2020, or by 28 February 2020 if the submission is made internationally. Submissions will be used to inform the advisory report to be issued in March and will play a significant role in the government’s ultimate decision and the legislative process.

Please refer to the following website for more details:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Foreign_Affairs_Defence_and_Trade/MagnitskyAct/Media_Releases

And the following link advises on making submissions:
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Making_a_submission

The terms of reference to be detailed in submissions:
1. the framework for autonomous sanctions under Australian law;
2. The use of sanctions alongside other tools by which Australia promotes human rights internationally;
3. The advantages and disadvantages of the use of human rights sanctions, including the effectiveness of sanctions as an instrument of foreign policy to combat human rights abuses;
4. Any relevant experience of other jurisdictions, including the US regarding their Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (2016);
5. The advisability of introducing a new thematic regulation within our existing Autonomous Sanctions Regime for human rights abuses.