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Rights and Freedoms
19 January 2015Opinion pieceCharlie Hebdo V 18C: no contest
Charlie Hebdo would have risked being censored by the courts, but self-censorship is the reality of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. -
Technology and Human Rights
24 July 2018Publication
Issues Paper: Human Rights and Technology
Learn more about how your human rights may be impacted by technology in the Commission's Issue Paper. -
Sex Discrimination
4 December 2014Project
Violence against women
Violence against women continues to be one of the most prevalent human rights abuses in Australia, and around the world. -
13 November 2014Book page
President’s statement
This year the Commission finalised its strategic vision for the coming four-year period. The Strategic Plan 2014-2018 provides a roadmap for all our activities and meets the Commission’s new legal obligations under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (Cth). Over the next four years the Commission will work on three core priorities: human rights education and… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
10 October 2014Opinion pieceMagna Carta shelters asylum-seekers
NEXT year is the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, signed reluctantly by King John at the demand of his rebellious barons in 1215. Buried in the middle of this foundational document of English constitutional law — setting out the single measure for wine and ale and the rights of widows on the death of their husband — are these words: “No freeman is to be taken or imprisoned or disseised… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
20 May 2014Opinion pieceThis budget could devastate Indigenous Australians
From cuts to youth welfare to the new Medicare co-payment, the budget will have a profound impact on Indigenous Australians. In an opinion piece published in The Drum, Mick Gooda asks: will the Federal Government speak to Aboriginal leaders before proceeding? I have spoken with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders since the release of the federal budget. Everyone I have spoken… -
26 March 2014Book page
Chapter 1: Audit approach and methodology
The ADF Audit began at the end of August 2013, one year from the tabling of the ADF Review’s Report, in accordance with the Terms of Reference. While the ADF Review’s Report was broad in scope, the approach of the ADF Audit was necessarily more specific. Accordingly, the team conducting the Audit sought to gather evidence of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the ADF… -
Rights and Freedoms
26 March 2014Opinion piece
Free speech is best medicine for the bigotry disease
THE proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act provide the basis for correcting the legal limits of free speech, promoting pluralism, opposing reprehensible racism and highlighting the importance of responsibility. Arguably the most important change is assessing an 18C violation based on “the standard of an ordinary reasonable member of the Australian community”. Interpretations… -
11 February 2014Book page
Summary
Access to justice in the criminal justice system for people with disabilities who need communication supports or who have complex and multiple support needs (people with disabilities) is a significant problem in every jurisdiction in Australia. Whether a person with disability is the victim of a crime, accused of a crime or a witness, they are at increased risk of being disrespected and -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
10 February 2014Publication
Close the Gap - Progress and priorities report 2014
Since the first Australian Government report in 2009, the Campaign Steering Committee has provided an annual complementary 'shadow' report representing its assessment of progress, including against the COAG Closing the Gap Targets for health and life expectancy equality, and the commitments in the Close the Gap Statement of Intent. This is done in the spirit of an open and constructive dialogue… -
Children's Rights
27 February 2018Publication
Children’s Rights Report 2017
This report outlines work the National Children's Commissioner has undertaken throughout 2016-17 to promote the human rights of children and young people in Australia. This year the major project has focused on the rights and needs of young parents and their children. -
Race Discrimination
28 July 2016PublicationLeading for Change: A blueprint for cultural diversity and inclusive leadership (2016)
Leading for Change starts the conversation about improving the representation of cultural diversity within Australian leadership. It provides guidance for how organisations can nurture leadership that is fit for our multicultural society and our global economy. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
9 January 2014Publication
Those who've come across the seas: Detention of unauthorised arrivals
HREOC’s report, tabled in federal Parliament on 12 May 1998, deals with the policy of mandatory detention of most unauthorised arrivals and the conditions of detention for those detained. The report had its origins in the many complaints received by HREOC from, or on behalf of, people in immigration detention centres. -
8 January 2014Book page
Abbreviations and Acronyms
You can view a list of abbreviations and acronyms that are used by the Commission. The list makes it easier to understand our website and publications. -
Disability Rights
2 December 2013SpeechPresentation to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land. Thanks for the chance to have this discussion this afternoon. It's a relatively small group so I hope it can be quite informal. We've just seen one of the films from the Australian Human Rights Commission's Twenty Years: Twenty Stories project. I wanted to show you this story because it typifies where we can be on issues around accommodation… -
LGBTIQ+
3 March 2016PublicationReport of the Human Rights Commissioner on certain provisions of the Tasmanian Criminal Code
BACKGROUND Two sections of the Tasmanian Criminal Code (Section 122 (a) and (c) and Section 123) criminalise some forms of sexual activity between males and females and all forms of sexual intercourse between males, including all forms of sexual intercourse and at least some expressions of sexual intimacy between consenting adult homosexual men in private. Male homosexual acts between consenting… -
Rights and Freedoms
18 May 2013Webpage
The collective aspect of freedom to manifest religion or belief
Article 18 of the ICCPR explicitly includes the freedom to manifest beliefs ‘in community with others’. As prominent human rights scholar Yoram Dinstein explains: ... freedom of religion, as an individual right, may be nullified unless complemented by a collective human right of the religious group to construct the infrastructure making possible the full enjoyment of that freedom by… -
Rights and Freedoms
1 May 2013Webpage
Freedom from torture or cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment or punishment
Learn that under human rights law, no person shall be subjected to torture or subjected without free consent to medical or scientific experimentation. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
4 February 2016Speech
New report reveal alarming impact of detention on children
[Check against delivery] Thank you for joining us today. Over a year ago, the Australian Human Rights Commission produced The Forgotten Children Report. This Report examined the impact of prolonged mandatory, indefinite immigration detention on the mental and physical heath of children. The findings were disturbing. In short, detention, whether on Christmas Island, Nauru or centres on the -
Disability Rights
12 April 2013Speech
Launch of Accessible events -- a guide for organisers (2006)
Launch of Accessible events -- a guide for organisers Gold Coast Convention Centre 27 April 2006 Graeme Innes Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Acknowledgements Annabel Davis, President of MEA Suzie Jones, Chair of the Conference organising Committee Linda Gaunt CEO of MEA MEA members Ladies and Gentlemen Introduction Allow me to begin by acknowledging the …