Update on sterilisation forum: December 2002
In late 2001 the Attorney-General's Department organised a Forum on Illegal Sterilisation of Disabled Minors, which brought together officers from a range of government agencies. The Forum identified a number of legal, education and information activities that might be undertaken to ensure illegal sterilisations do not occur. It was proposed that the Forum meet again in 2002 to review progress and undertake more work on developing the initial ideas.
Unfortunately, due to competing priorities, it has not been possible for the Department to reconvene the Forum this year. However, it is expected a further meeting will take place in the first half of 2003. In light of this, the Attorney-General's Department has provided participants in the Forum with an update on recent activities.
Following the Forum, there have been a number of significant developments in relation to sterilisation of disabled minors. These include:
- earlier this year, the Department worked with the Department of Health and Aged Care on changes to the Medicare Benefits Schedule note and cross-reference. These changes strengthen the message that strict legal requirements apply to the sterilisation of minors and that Medicare benefits are not payable where those requirements have not been met;
- the Department has raised the issue of education and dissemination of information about sterilisation procedures with the National Committee on Human Rights Education. The Committee has agreed to seek the support of the State and Territory Human Rights Education Committees in pursuing education initiatives in relation to this issue; and
- the Department is developing an Issues Paper regarding jurisdictional
arrangements for the authorisation of sterilisation procedures, for
consideration by the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General Human Rights
Working Party in 2003.
