Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Part 2

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128

POLICY TRIGGERS: DO I NEED TO CONSIDERSECTION 20?

You will need to consider s. 20 in assessinglegislation, a policy or a program where it:

•providesforacquisition,seizureorforfeitureof

aperson’spropertyundercivilorcriminallaw;•confersonapublicauthorityarightofaccess

toprivateproperty;•limitsorterminatespropertyrights(forexample,bylegislationwhichestablishesalimitationperiod);•restrictstheuseofprivateproperty(forexample,underplanninglaws);•restrictsorregulatesestablishedpatterns

o access (especially or commercial or

businesspurposes)topublicproperty;•modiescommercialorbusinesslicensingarrangements;•implementsgovernmentcontroloveritsownproperty(forexample,resumptionofland);•deprivesaco-ownerofproperty;•impoundsorsuspendsregistrationofamotorvehicle;•createsachargeormortgageonland;•createsachargeormortgageonpersonal

property.

Thesepolicytriggersarenotcomprehensive.

DISCUSSION

Section20establishesarightnottobedeprivedof

property other than in accordance with law. This right

doesnotprovidearighttocompensation.AlthoughtheCharterdoesnot,asamatteroflaw,requirecompensationwhenpropertyisacquired,you

should consider in those circumstances whether

compensationisrequiredasamatterofpolicy.TheScrutinyofActsandRegulationsCommitteewillbelikelytocontinuetocommentadverselyonlegislationthatprovidesfortheacquisitionofpropertywithoutcompensation,althoughithasbeenrecognisedbytheHighCourtthattherequirementunder

the ederal Constitution that the Commonwealth

Parliamentcannotpassalawthatacquirespropertywithoutcompensationonjustterms(s.51(xxxi))

does not apply to the States.

167

Section 20 ensures that the institution o propertyis recognised and acknowledges that Victoria isa market economy that depends on the institution

ofprivateproperty.Thescopeoftherightprotectedbys.20isaperson’srightnottobedeprivedofhisorher

property other than in accordance with law.

167

Durham Holdings Pty Ltd v. New South Wales

(2001)205 CLR 399.

Section 20ProPerty riGHtS

S 20

A person must not be deprived of his or her property other than in accordance with law.

129

Asmentionedabove,thisprovisionisdistinctfromtheprovisionintheAustralianConstitutionwhichprovidespropertyguaranteesinrelationtopropertyacquiredunderfederallaw.Section20appliesto

Victorian law, not Federal law.

Itiswellestablishedininternationalhumanrightslawthatapersonmustnotbearbitrarilydeprived

ofhisorherproperty.Deprivationotherwisethan

inaccordancewithlawisanexampleofarbitrarydeprivation.The

Universal Declaration on HumanRights

was the frst international instrument tocodiy this right in article 17, which reads:

(1)Everyonehastherighttoownproperty

alone as well as in association with others.

(2)Nooneshallbearbitrarilydeprivedofhis

property.

What this right means

Inonesenseitisquiteimpossibleforagovernmenttodepriveapersonofhisorherpropertyotherwisethaninaccordancewithlaw:ifaGovernmentactsunlawfullyitsactionswillnotbeeffectivetodeprive

a person o his or her

title

to, or ownership o, his orher property.

However,‘property’ins.20hasawidermeaningthantitletoorownershipofproperty,and‘deprived’hasawidermeaningthanbeingstrippedoftitle

orownership(discussedbelowonpage130).Theprimaryimpactofs.20willbeinrelationtothesewidersensesofpropertyanddeprivation.

To comply with the right in these contexts, the

deprivationmustbeauthorisedbylaw.Inthevettingcontextthismeans:•Wherethecommonlaworlegislativeprovisiondeprivesapersonoftitleto,orownershipof,

his or her property, you should ensure that

thepowersconferredbythecommonlaworlegislativeprovisionarenotarbitrary.Ifthey

arenotarbitrary,nothingfurtherisrequiredtosatisfytherightcontainedins.20.(However,

you should take into account any other policy

developmentguidelinesthatrequire,forexample,provisionsfornotice,consultation,reviewandcompensation.TheCharterdoes

not displace any such existing guidelines or

existinglegalrequirements.)•Wherethecommonlaworlegislativeprovisionauthorisesthedeprivationofproperty(inthewidersense),youshouldensurethatthepowersconferredbythecommonlaworlegislativeprovisionarenotarbitrary.Ifthosepowerscannotbeexercisedarbitrarily,nothingfurtherisrequired

to satisy the right contained in s. 20. (Again,

however,youshouldtakeintoaccountanyotherpolicydevelopmentguidelines.)•Whereapolicyauthorisesorrequiresadeprivationofproperty(inthewidersense),

you should ensure that the policy is authorised

bythecommonlaworlegislationandthatthepowersconferredbythelawarenotarbitrary.

‘Property’

Theterm‘property’isnotdenedintheCharter.Itincludesbothrealandpersonalpropertyand

any right or interest regarded as property under

Victorianlaw.Forexample,thefollowingwillbe

included under s. 20:

•personalpossessions;•land;•contractualrights;•leases;•shares;•patents;•debts.Thenotionof‘property’alsoextendstostatutoryrights,particularlywheretheyhavethe

characteristics o traditional property rights

suchaspermanenceandtransferability.Importantly,propertycouldalsoapplytonon-

traditional and less ormal rights in relation toproperty, such as a licence to enter or occupyland and the right to enjoy uninterrupted possessiono land.

Theabovelistisnotcomprehensive.TheseCharterGuidelinescannotprovidepolicyofcerswithacomprehensivestatementofVictorianlawon

the defnition o property. It is important that youamiliarise yoursel with the range o rights and

interestsconsideredtobe‘property’underVictorianlawwhichmightberelevanttos.20.

c H a r t e r G u i d e l i n e S S e c t i o n 2 0 : P r o P e r t y r i G H t S

130

‘Deprived’

Theterm‘deprived’isnotdenedintheCharter.

It will include situations where:

•titletopropertyistransferredtosomeone

otherthantheowner;•titletopropertyisextinguished;•aregulationhastheeffectofsubstantiallydeprivingapropertyowneroftheabilityto

use his or her property or part o that property

(includingenjoyingexclusivepossessionofit,

disposing o it, destroying it, transerring it or

derivingprotsfromit).

‘Other than in accordance with law’

Section20onlyprohibitsadeprivationofproperty

that is carried out unlawully.To comply with this right, i a program or a policy

maydepriveapersonofhisorherproperty:•thedeprivationmustoccurunderpowersthatareconferredbylegislationorthecommonlaw;

and

•ifthedeprivationofpropertyoccursunderdiscretionarypowers,thosepowersshouldbeconnedandstructuredratherthanarbitrary

or unclear.

Thesecondrequirementisimposedbecausetherequirementthatpermissibledeprivationsonlybecarriedout‘inaccordancewithlaw’importsarequirementthatthelawnotbearbitrary–thatit

beaccessibletothepublicandformulatedprecisely

enough to guide those who apply the law. Consult

MeasurestoImproveCompliancebelowforways

tohelpensurethattheserequirementsaremet.

REASONABLE LIMITS

As with all o the human rights protected in the

Charter,therightprotectedbys.20maybesubjecttoreasonablelimitationsthatcanbedemonstrably

justifed in a democratic society in accordancewith s. 7 o the Charter. You should reer to Part 2o these Charter Guidelines or urther inormationon s. 7.

KEY POINTS TO REMEMBER

•Apersonmustnotbedeprivedofhisorherpropertyunlessthelawprovidesthatheorshemaybe.•Therighttopropertydoesnotentailatstatelevelanyrighttocompensationupondeprivation.

MEASURES TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE

Ifyouaredevelopinganypolicyorlegislation

thatmightresultinthedeprivationofproperty,

ensure that:

•anydeprivationofpropertyisauthorisedbylegislationorthecommonlaw;•thecriteriathatistobeusedfordeterminingwhenitwilloccurareclearlyarticulated;and•thecriteriawillnotresultinanydiscrimination,

as defned in the Charter.

RELATED RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS

Ifyourpolicyorlegislationinvolvesanissueunder

s. 20, you may also wish to examine whether thepolicy or legislation has an impact upon s. 13

whichprotectsagainsttheunlawfulandarbitraryinterferencewithprivacy,family,homeand

correspondence.

HISTORY OF THE SECTION

TheICCPRdoesnotcontainaprovisionthatprotectsagainstarbitrarydeprivationofproperty,althougharticles2(1),24(1)and24oftheICCPRprohibitdiscriminationonvariousgrounds,includingproperty.Section20alsoreectspartofthecontentofarticle17oftheUniversalDeclaration

on Human Rights.

Similarrightsexistincomparativelaw.Referto

Appendix H or urther inormation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

CaseLaw

1.

Durham Holdings Pty Ltd v. New South Wales

(2001)205CLR399.

Section 20ProPerty riGHtS

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