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Children's Rights

Domestic violence: $100 million funding raises hope in a week of tragedy

    By Professor Gillian Triggs and Commissioner Megan Mitchell. We can no longer tolerate the loss of innocent lives, or allow children to be exposed to such horrific crimes. This week we have seen at least four lives tragically cut short at the hands of a partner or family member. Two of these victims...

Category, Opinion
Rights and Freedoms

Austin Asche Oration in Law and Governance

Austin Asche Oration in Law and Governance Thursday 3 September 2015 I am honoured to have been invited to speak tonight at this, the 5 th Austin Asche Oration in Law and Governance. As I had not met or known the Hon. Austin Asche. As any researcher would do, I ‘googled’ him to learn about his...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

NSW Council for Civil Liberties

I was pleased to have been invited to speak to the NSW Council for Civil Liberties at this your annual fund raising dinner for you are, above all, best placed to understand the phenomenon of the last few years that is of concern to the Australian Human Rights Commission; that is, the encroachment of...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

What are the proper limits on the power of Parliament?

Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues - thank you for your welcome to this Law Institute of Victoria seminar. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I will always have a soft spot for the Law Institute of Victoria. I was admitted...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

What are the proper limits on the power of Parliament?

Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues - thank you for your welcome to this Law Institute of Victoria seminar. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I will always have a soft spot for the Law Institute of Victoria. I was admitted...

Category, Speech
Sex Discrimination

Women of Influence Awards

Thank you Brian and Westpac and Greg and Fairfax for conceiving and sponsoring these awards. The WOI awards not only lift the visibility of female leaders, but provide a crucial platform for women to expand their influence – and in so doing create a more gender equal Australia. And for that I am very grateful. Thank you.

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Eddie Koiki Mabo Lecture

Thank you Russell for your kind words of introduction. Aunty Clara Ogleby, I begin by acknowledging and paying my respects to the Kuku Yalanji people, Traditional Owners of the place upon which we sit and talk today.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Freedom, Parliament and the Courts. Speech to the Human Rights Dinner

Please check against delivery Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues- thank you for your welcome tonight. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and pay respect to their elders past and present. I am honoured to be a patron of Justice Connect...

Category, Speech
Commission – General

Freedom, Parliament and the Courts

Speech to the annual Human Rights Dinner, co-hosted by Justice Connect and the Human Rights Law Centre. Draft: check against delivery Thank you for your welcome tonight. Acknowledgement of country I am honored to be a patron of Justice Connect that has so successfully aligned probono lawyers with...

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Rob Riley Lecture

Thank you Sue for your kind introduction and Simon (Forrest) can I acknowledge your warm welcome and can I reciprocate by paying my respects to the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation, the traditional owners of the place that is now known as Perth. I thank you for allowing me on your country. I salute the Elders who are here today, those that have gone before us, and those who are yet to come.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Speech to the Australian Libertarian Society’s 3rd annual Friedman conference

Introduction Thank you. It is a great pleasure to attend the Australian Libertarian Society’s Third Friedman Conference. I’d like to acknowledge the outstanding efforts of Tim Andrews and John Humphrey for bringing this important conference together. I’d also like to acknowledge the previous speaker...

Category, Speech
Asylum Seekers and Refugees

The Government, the High Court and the Migration Act

  The long running, if muted, struggle between the High Court of Australia and the Government over refugees recalls a bitter legal battle in the early 17th century. Sir Edward Coke, the first Lord Chief Justice of England, defied King James 1 by asserting the supremacy of the common law over the...

Category, Opinion
Rights and Freedoms

Isabelle Lake Memorial Lecture. Australia's Transgender Awakening

The Isabelle Lake Memorial Lecture is an initiative of the Equal Opportunity Commission of Western Australia in partnership with the University of Western Australia to honour the work and achievements of Ms Isabelle Lake. Ms Lake was a young trans rights activist, who was also a former employee of the Equal Opportunity Commission and University of Western Australia student.

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Launch of the Rights & Responsibilities Consultation 2014 Report

Thank you for coming. It's a great pleasure to launch the report from our Rights and Responsibilities Consultation. Like my Commissioner colleagues, the role of Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner is to look at systemic public policy issues. No Commissioner investigates complaints from the public...

Category, Speech

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