Addressing Homelessness: Does Australia's Indirect Implementation of Human Rights Comply with its International Obligations?

Abstract

This chapter explores whether the Australian approach to implementing human rights, indirectly through democratic political processes rather than directly through judicial enforcement, fulfils Australia's obligations under international law to ensure that all Australians enjoy the human rights enumerated in the human rights treaties to which it is a party. Using the national Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) as a case-study, it argues that the Australian system, in its present form, does not adequately implement Australia's international obligations because it does not, on its own terms, provide adequate non-judicial accountability mechanisms that would ensure 'effective reme..