Refugee status determination in Australia: breaking the rules?

In particular, it evaluates the procedures that are used to assess claims for asylum and the extent to which they meet international refugee and human rights standards. This article discusses four key issues in the adjudication programme: the appointment of decision-makers to tribunals that hear refugee application, the accessibility of the review process by asylum seekers, questions relating to the efficiency of the procedures used and the mandatory detention system.

It is argued that whereas Australia is party to the main international treaties that seek to protect refugees and asylum seekers, its asylum law and policy is in many ways inconsistent with international norms. To conclude, the author proposes the observance of human rights and refugee standards by asylum states.