Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Any information in Column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

In this Act:

human rights means the rights and freedoms recognised or declared by the following international instruments: the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination done at New York on 21 December 1965 ([1975] ATS 40); the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights done at New York on 16 December 1966 ([1976] ATS 5); the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights done at New York on 16 December 1966 ([1980] ATS 23); the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women done at New York on 18 December 1979 ([1983] ATS 9); the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment done at New York on 10 December 1984 ([1989] ATS 21); the Convention on the Rights of the Child done at New York on 20 November 1989 ([1991] ATS 4); the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities done at New York on 13 December 2006 ([2008] ATS 12).

(2) In the definition of human rights in subsection (1), the reference to the rights and freedoms recognised or declared by an international instrument is to be read as a reference to the rights and freedoms recognised or declared by the instrument as it applies to Australia.

The Committee is to consist of 12 members:

A member of the Parliament is not eligible for appointment as a member of the Committee if he or she is:

A member ceases to hold office:

A member appointed by the Senate may resign his or her office by writing signed by him or her and delivered to the President of the Senate.

A member appointed by the House of Representatives may resign his or her office by writing signed by him or her and delivered to the Speaker of that House.

Either House of the Parliament may appoint one of its members to fill a vacancy amongst the members of the Committee appointed by that House.

A member of Parliament who proposes to introduce a Bill for an Act into a House of the Parliament must cause a statement of compatibility to be prepared in respect of that Bill.

A member of Parliament who introduces a Bill for an Act into a House of the Parliament, or another member acting on his or her behalf, must cause the statement of compatibility prepared under subsection (1) to be presented to the House.

A statement of compatibility must include an assessment of whether the Bill is compatible with human rights.

A statement of compatibility prepared under subsection (1) is not binding on any court or tribunal.

A failure to comply with this section in relation to a Bill that becomes an Act does not affect the validity, operation or enforcement of the Act or any other provision of a law of the Commonwealth.

(1) The rule-maker in relation to a legislative instrument to which Legislation Act 2003 applies must cause a statement of compatibility to be prepared in respect of that legislative instrument.section 42 (disallowance) of the

A statement of compatibility must include an assessment of whether the legislative instrument is compatible with human rights.

A statement of compatibility prepared under subsection (1) is not binding on any court or tribunal.

(4) A failure to comply with this section in relation to a legislative instrument does not affect the validity, operation or enforcement of the instrument or any other provision of a law of the Commonwealth.