SW News:

An independent Australian think tank says the country lags behind much of the rest of the world in protecting religious freedom. The study commissioned by the Center for Independent Studies comes against the backdrop of the eagerly awaited Australian Law Reform Commission's (ALRC) final review report on proposed religious discrimination laws later this month. 
When the ALRC published a discussion on the proposal limiting schools' capacity to hire personnel based on their faith, it provoked a protest from Catholic institutions. 
Elisabeth Taylor, the study's author, said that because they have yet to be codified into law, Australia's current religious protections are useless and subject to challenge. 
Despite Australia having ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) of the UN, according to Taylor, "our track record in meeting these obligations trails behind much of the rest of the world." 
The report claims that Australia needs to have the requisite laws to give effect to the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion guaranteed under Article 18 of the ICCPR. "A patchwork of regulations at the federal, state, and territory level only partially protects against discrimination based on religion, and this is more vulnerable to invasion by legislation curtailing the right without due consideration for the ICCPR," stated the report. 
According to the Center for Independent Studies analysis, Australia prioritizes anti-discrimination and only approaches affirmative protections by finding exceptions to state and federal laws.