On 22 November 2017, the then Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull, announced the appointment of an Expert Panel to examine whether Australian law adequately protects the human right to freedom of religion.

On 18 May 2018, the Panel delivered its Report to the Prime Minister. The statement the Panel made after submitting its report is available.

On 13 December 2018, the Panel’s Report and the Government response were released and are available on the Attorney-General's website:

Submissions

The Panel received submissions on the matters contained in its Terms of Reference from 14 December 2017 to 14 February 2018. The Panel also accepted a small number of submissions received after 14 February 2018. The Panel received more than 15,500 submissions. Published submissions can be found here.

Background on the Review

The Prime Minister announced the Terms of Reference for the Review on 14 December 2017. In undertaking its Review, the Prime Minister instructed the Panel to:

Consider the intersections between the enjoyment of the freedom of religion and other human rights.

Have regard to any previous or ongoing reviews or inquiries that it considers relevant.

Consult as widely as it considers necessary.

The Expert Panel comprised:

the Hon Philip Ruddock (chair)

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM

the Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AO SC

Father Frank Brennan SJ AO

Professor Dr Nicholas Aroney

A full copy of the Terms of Reference is available online.

The Panel was supported by a Secretariat within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Consultations

The Panel held face-to-face consultations with a wide range of stakeholders with different viewpoints on the topic of religious freedom. The meetings occurred during February and March 2018 as follows: