The United Nations has rushed to the defence of Gillian Triggs, urging the federal government to "respect the rule" of law in the protection of human rights and the Australian Human Rights Commission president's "high reputation".
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The UN's working group on arbitrary detention has commended the work by the commission in its latest report, saying it considers the commission's statements on international law and human rights as "highly authoritative and their findings reliable".
Professor Triggs was heavily criticised by the Abbott government last week for its inquiry into children in immigration detention. Prime Minister Tony Abbott accused the commission of orchestrating a "transparent stitch-up" by releasing its report while the Coalition government was in power.
It was then revealed the government sought the resignation of Professor Triggs two weeks before it launched its extraordinary attack on the commission over its children in detention report.
Fairfax Media was contacted by the UN after Mr Abbott's comments last week, and it drew attention to its comments supportive of Professor Triggs in its recent report, published late last month.
The children in detention report, which was tabled late on Wednesday night, detailed extremely high rates of self-harm, child abuse and 33 cases of sexual assault of children in Australian-run immigration detention centres between January 2013 and March 2014 - a period spanning both the former Labor and current Coalition governments.
"The working group regards [the commission's] statements on international law and human rights as highly authoritative and their findings reliable, and urge national authorities to respect the rule of law and the international system for the protection of human rights by according the Australian Human Rights Commission and its President the respect that its role as the national human rights institution and her personal authority and high reputation require," the UN report says.
It is not the first time Mr Abbott has attacked .the Human Rights Commission's President. In early January Mr Abbott questioned Professor Triggs' judgement when it was revealed that in a ruling in June she had recommended an Indonesian refugee and convicted killer be allowed back into the community after he had served his jail time.
"I think it shows what can best be described as extremely questionable judgment," Mr Abbott told reporters at the time.
Professor Triggs was also criticised for calling for an inquiry into children in detention only months after the Abbott government had won office.
The UN joins a chorus of supporters for Professor Triggs after the government's ongoing attacks. About 50 human rights lawyers, the Law Council of Australia, the Bar Association and the Australian Council of Social Services have voiced their concern about the government's response to the findings, saying such attacks were a threat to democracy.
"Personal criticism directed at [Professor Triggs] or at any judicial or quasi-judicial officer fulfilling the duties of public office as required by law is an attack upon the independence and integrity of the commission and undermines confidence in our system of justice and human rights protection" said Fiona McLeod, president of the Australian Bar Association.
The report found the number of children in detention has significantly decreased under the Abbott government, but the length of detention has dramatically increased. It also calls for a royal commission into the issue and that all children be removed from detention in both Nauru and in Australian detention centres.
There are currently 136 children being held in mainland detention facilities and 116 children being held in the offshore processing centre in Nauru.
