Labor and Coalition block bill that would ban incarcerated women being shackled in childbirth
News Source
β’Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:22:33 GMT
π° What Happened
Labor and the Coalition have blocked a vote on a bill that would have banned the shackling of incarcerated women during childbirth. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe introduced the bills. They would also stop children in detention being strip-searched. The government said criminal justice is mainly a state and territory responsibility. The Coalition said it understood the intent but would not support the bill. Liberal senator Paul Scarr broke ranks, saying he was deeply concerned and would write to Queensland's attorney general. Thorpe promised to reintroduce the bill.
π The Backstory
The UN adopted the Bangkok rules 15 years ago. They say prison should be a last resort for pregnant women, and that restraints must never be used during labour, birth, or right after. The rules were agreed by all UN members but are often ignored. The only Australian data on giving birth in prison is from 2017, when 25 women gave birth while locked up. Advocates say the practice is inhumane and that it harms First Nations women most of all.
π― Why It Matters
The vote shows how federal and state powers can clash over human rights. It leaves in place a practice that many experts and even some politicians say should end, and it puts pressure on states to act on their own if the Commonwealth will not. For campaigners, it is a clear signal of how far politicians still have to go on women's and children's rights.
Labor and the Coalition have blocked a vote on a bill that would have banned the shackling of incarcerated women during childbirth. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe introduced the bills. They would also stop children in detention being strip-searched. The government said criminal justice is mainly a state and territory responsibility. The Coalition said it understood the intent but would not support the bill. Liberal senator Paul Scarr broke ranks, saying he was deeply concerned and would write to Queensland's attorney general. Thorpe promised to reintroduce the bill.
The UN adopted the Bangkok rules 15 years ago. They say prison should be a last resort for pregnant women, and that restraints must never be used during labour, birth, or right after. The rules were agreed by all UN members but are often ignored. The only Australian data on giving birth in prison is from 2017, when 25 women gave birth while locked up. Advocates say the practice is inhumane and that it harms First Nations women most of all.
The vote shows how federal and state powers can clash over human rights. It leaves in place a practice that many experts and even some politicians say should end, and it puts pressure on states to act on their own if the Commonwealth will not. For campaigners, it is a clear signal of how far politicians still have to go on women's and children's rights.