Human rights will soon be enshrined in Queensland law, with a bill to be introduced into Parliament this week.
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The Queensland act was expected to be modelled on the Victorian Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act, introduced in 2006.
That includes a right to life, protection from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, freedom from forced work, freedom of movement, privacy and reputation, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and freedom of association.
Human Rights Act for Queensland campaign co-ordinator Aimee McVeigh said it was a historic moment for the state.
"This means that Queenslanders will have their rights to be treated fairly, equally and with dignity protected in law," she said.
"It also means that when our rights are not respected, we can complain to a human rights commission."
Queensland's human rights act would be the first to allow people who claimed their rights were unfairly limited to make a complaint to a human rights commission.
"The ability to make a complaint means that Queensland's human rights act is likely to be more accessible and practical than the human rights laws that exist in Victoria and the ACT," Ms McVeigh said.
Caxton Legal Centre described the development as "fantastic news".
"We look forward to the changes this will bring for a fairer Queensland," the legal centre tweeted.
Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said she was proud the government was taking another step towards protecting the human rights of Queenslanders.
"Not only are we honouring another election commitment but we are advancing the rights of Queenslanders and providing better services with this bill," she said.
"This bill means Queensland will join other common law and Commonwealth countries, such as Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and South Africa, as well as Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, in the legislative protection of human rights."
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced cabinet had agreed to introduce a human rights bill at the 2016 Labor state conference, modelled on the Victorian charter.
During a 2016 inquiry into a possible human rights act, the Queensland Law Society submitted both "for" and "against" arguments, to reflect its members' views.
The "against" argument said a human rights act was unnecessary, including because many of the rights - such as not to be tortured or enslaved, and property rights - were protected by existing criminal and common law.
However, Community Legal Centres Queensland director James Farrell previously told Fairfax Media that experiences in other jurisdictions showed human rights law could have a profound impact, including on the delivery of government services.
"Victoria and the ACT have had human rights laws for years, and we've seen stronger protection for people with disability, families threatened with homelessness, women and children experiencing family violence, and many other groups in the community," he said.
The issue of a human rights act for Queensland has been debated for decades, with a parliamentary committee considering the issue in 1998.
Former independent MP Peter Wellington called for a human rights act during the Newman government years in the wake of anti-association laws, and investigating a bill of rights was one of the things the Palaszczuk government agreed to with Mr Wellington in 2015 in exchange for his support on confidence motions.
