Alison Battisson

Author: Alison Battisson

Alison Battisson is the founder and Director Principal of Human Rights for All (HR4A). HR4A is an Australian charitable human rights law firm which provides pro bono representation to refugees, stateless people and Indigenous people in Australia’s immigration detention prisons. Alison and her team focus on long term detained and complex-case refugees and stateless people to test the principals of liberty in Australia. The firm’s overall aim is to change Australian law so that it no longer provides for the open-ended mandatory detention of such people. Of particular interest to the firm are extremely vulnerable detained persons, including members of the LGBTIQA+ community, the disabled, and First Nations people whose complicated or unrecognised citizenship put them at risk of being deported. In addition to the onshore immigration detention work, Alison also played a crucial role in assisting female athletes, their families and others escape Kabul, Afghanistan in August 2021. Over 110 people were airlifted to safety as a result. Alison continues to work to bring Afghan women at risk to safety. HR4A represent clients at all levels of the legal system, including the High Court, Federal Court and various Tribunals. HR4A regularly makes submissions to the UN Human Rights Council, Committee Against Torture, various special rapporteurs and the Australian Human Rights Commission. Before establishing HR4A, Alison worked as a corporate lawyer for top tier firms in Australia, the UK, Singapore and Indonesia. She has also worked with volunteer organisations in Zimbabwe, Australia and the UK. Alison is an in-demand speaker, lecturer and panellist, who speaks authoritatively to media and various audiences on a range of issues related to human rights and liberty. She is also a former high-level boxer, and now tries to balance family time, sport and travel with her work with refugees and stateless people. Connect with Alison via LinkedIn.

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