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Disability Rights
14 December 2012WebpageDisability Rights: Electoral access
The Australian Human Rights Commission has received a complaint under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 alleging discrimination by the State Electoral Commission in that the Local Government elections conducted in NSW in 1999 were not accessible, or not equally accessible to many people with disabilities. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
14 December 2012Project
Age assessment in people smuggling cases - Inquiry into the treatment of individuals suspected of people smuggling offences who say that they are children
You can explore an inquiry in to the treatment of individuals suspected of people smuggling offences who report that they are children. -
Rights and Freedoms
14 December 2012ProjectDiscrimination in Employment on the Basis of Criminal Record
In recent years the Australian Human Rights Commission has received a significant number of complaints from people alleging discrimination in employment on the basis of criminal record. The complaints indicate that there is a great deal of misunderstanding by both employers and people with criminal records about discrimination on the basis of criminal record. -
14 December 2012Book page
Human Rights Publications
Reports on complaints of discrimination on the grounds of sexual preference, criminal record and trade union activity are available on our discrimination in employment and occupation page. -
LGBTIQ+
17 September 2015Opinion pieceI want to hold your hand: LGBTI people have some surprisingly modest aspirations
Visibility remains one of the greatest challenges in tackling the legacy of state-sanctioned discrimination against people on the basis of their sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. In the past 30 years we’ve made great strides in ensuring people are treated equally before the law and government simply because of who they are. Led by John Gorton, the commonwealth… -
Disability Rights
19 August 2015Publication
Willing to Work - Booklet 1: about the National Inquiry
Explore a series of booklets that are part of a National Inquiry in to employment discrimination against older Australians and Australians with disability. -
Disability Rights
15 July 2018Publication
A Future Without Violence (2018)
Quality, safeguarding and oversight to prevent and address violence against people with disability in institutional settings -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
10 April 2015Opinion piece
The Government, the High Court and the Migration Act
Read an opinion piece about the High Court finding the government in breach of the Migration Act for refusing to grant a protection visa to a refugee. -
Rights and Freedoms
27 March 2015Publication
Rights & Responsibilities Consultation Report
Rights & Responsibilities 2014 was a national consultation conducted by the Human Rights Commissioner between August and December 2014. The consultation examined how well people think their human rights and freedoms are protected in Australia. -
Commission – General
27 January 2015Publication2014 Diversity Strategy
As the body with a statutory responsibility to ensure the observance of human rights in Australia, it is important that respect and acceptance of diversity is an integral part of our own workplace. Diversity in our staff is one of our greatest assets and assists us to meet our organisational objectives. Our diversity strategy, for the first time incorporates all of our commitments and… -
Education16 December 2014Webpage
Why is racism a problem?
Explore the profound effects of racism on individuals and communities. Learn from personal accounts and research findings. Stand up to racism with us. -
Education16 December 2014Webpage
Why are people racist?
Understand the roots of racism and its impact on society. Learn why people hold racist attitudes and how to combat them. -
29 November 2016Book page
Executive Summary
In accordance with statutory duties, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner reports to Parliament each year on the enjoyment and exercise of the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This includes a requirement to report on the operation of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) and its impact on the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres… -
Children's Rights
26 March 2018Project
Reporting to the United Nations on Children's Rights
In September 2019, Australia appeared before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. This UN Committee monitors Australia’s progress in fulfilling its obligations under: • the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) • the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (OPSC) • the Optional … -
LGBTIQ+
23 October 2014Opinion piece
It's time for the transgender talk, Australia
The backlash against tweets directed at Catherine McGregor on Q&A last week should spark a conversation about transgender people in Australia. We must improve attitudes, writes Tim Wilson. We all need to learn something new for the first time, so let's use the opportunity presented by last week's episode of Q&A to educate Australians about treating transgender people with respect… -
Legal
27 September 2016PublicationFederal Discrimination Law 2016
Explore the 2016 edition of Federal Discrimination Law, produced by the Australian Human Rights Commission and LexisNexis. Learn about federal unlawful discrimination laws and significant case issues. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
30 January 2014Webpage
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014
About the Inquiry On 3 February 2014 the President of the Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs, launched an inquiry into children in closed immigration detention. The purpose of the Inquiry was to investigate the ways in which life in immigration detention affects the health, well-being and development of children. The Inquiry would assess the impact on children by seeking the views of… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
6 November 2017WebpageAbout us
A MESSAGE FROM THE ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMISSIONER Dear friends, I am the first Aboriginal woman appointed to the role of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission. It is my role to raise awareness of the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to provide… -
Disability Rights
4 December 2013Speech
Speech to Australia's Network on Disability International Day Function
Click here to download presentation slide I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land. *Slide with contact details* I've pondered for a while how to theme this speech. After all, it’s my last international day as Commissioner, as my term concludes in July next year. And 2013 - a huge year of change and increased media exposure - has been a galactic year for the disability sector. So I… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
8 November 2013Webpage
Index of Commission's work
Major publications The Forgotten Children: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention 2014 (2015) Asylum seekers, refugees and human rights: snapshot report 2013 Human rights standards for immigration detention (2013) An age of uncertainty: Inquiry into the treatment of individuals suspected of people smuggling offences who say that they are children (2012) A last resort?…