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Medevac laws must not be repealed, says ALA
26th Oct 2019
The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) calls upon the Australian government to reject the repeal of Australia’s medevac laws.
In a statement endorsed at the ALA’s national conference today, the ALA said that the proposed changes to the laws threaten the health of asylum seekers and could mean litigation is again required to get people the urgent medical care they need.
“To repeal the laws would see a return to the heartless, unfair and unacceptable practice that cause harm to individuals,” said ALA National President, Mr Andrew Christopoulos.
“The laws came about because of the enormous effort of the legal system to a level that should never have been necessary, and for which there should never be the need again.
“Doctors should be making medical decisions, not politicians or bureaucrats.
“Australia has a non-delegable duty to people seeking asylum in Australia and we are obliged to ensure that appropriate medical care is provided. The current medevac laws go some way towards helping Australia to meet this obligation and should not be repealed.”
The ALA is a national association of lawyers, academics, and other professionals dedicated to protecting and promoting justice, freedom and the rights of the individual.
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