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The emergency laws that passed Victorian parliament yesterday as part of the state’s response to the coronavirus should be overseen by an independent committee, human rights commissioner Kristen HIlton has said.

Hilton, who is the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commissioner, said some of the measures introduced in the Covid-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Act 2020 would have an impact on human rights, particularly changes relating to the management of prisons, the restriction of visitors, and changes to the way court proceedings are carried out.

She said those impacts were reasonable but must be closely monitored. “During a state of emergency, some limitations on human rights may be unavoidable – and these are not decisions we can take lightly. Any restriction on human rights must be necessary, justifiable, proportionate and time-bound,” Hilton said.

She added: “The government should establish an independent committee to scrutinise the response, that is informed by human rights expertise and can hear directly from the public. This is critical in maintaining public confidence and transparency.”

The Victorian opposition called for the establishment of such a committee, but the deputy Nationals leader, Steph Ryan, said the government refused to establish a committee with a non-government majority.

Steph Ryan (@StephRyanNats) Andrews flatly refuses to establish an oversight committee with a non-government majority to scrutinise the extraordinary powers he is wielding. This is happening in other jurisdictions, including Canberra and New Zealand, and it should happen in Victoria. #springst

Hilton said the Victorian Government had filed a statement of compatibility, to show that the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities had been carefully considered in the drafting of the laws, but that did not do away with the need for continual monitoring and independent oversight.