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Estimates: Human rights complaints against police

During Estimates hearings on Friday 26 July 2024, I asked the Queensland Human Rights Commissioner about the resolution of human rights complaints made against Queensland Police Service. 

You can read my question and his full response below, or in the official Parliamentary record of proceedings (Hansard) here

Mr BERKMAN: Thanks very much. I was hoping to put a question to the Human Rights Commissioner, if I might. Mr McDougall, can you advise the committee in the last financial year how many complaints in the Human Rights Commission named the QPS as a respondent and how many of those complaints were able to be resolved through conciliation?

Mr McDougall: I do not have those details to hand, but I can certainly get them back within the timeframes of today. 

Mr BERKMAN: I would appreciate that if possible, and maybe at a more general level then. Has the commission identified any shift in the way the QPS is approaching any human rights complaints that are brought in respect of the Police Service or QPS officers? 

Mr McDougall: I think to answer that, you may be aware that the commission is currently involved in a collaborative process with the Queensland Police Service implementing recommendation 12 of the commission of inquiry which required the Queensland Police Service to engage the commission to undertake a review of its recruitment and retention policies and procedures. I can say that the commission has developed an effective working relationship with the police. I am yet to see any evidence though that that relationship is translating yet into a drastic improvement in the way that human rights are protected and respected by Queensland police officers. That is something that is within my ambit though and is certainly a goal of the commission.

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