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Australia’s Disability and Age Discrimination Commissioners have called out the governments of NSW and Western Australia for failing older people and people with disability by not requiring new homes in their jurisdictions to meet the minimum national accessibility standards in the National Construction Code (NCC). 

This International Women’s Day, the Commissioners at the Australian Human Rights Commission stand together to call for urgent action to ensure that all women and girls—of every background, age or disability—can live free from violence, discrimination, and inequality. This year’s International Women’s Day theme, “For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,” is a reminder that…

Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner has written to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke seeking clarity and transparency around an Australian Government decision to resettle three members of the NZYQ cohort in Nauru, saying the announcement raises serious human rights concerns and prompts more questions than it answers.

A major new report about the COVID-19 pandemic by the Australian Human Rights Commission has highlighted how critical gaps in the emergency response could be improved upon in future crises.

Commissioners honour the memory of the six million Jewish men, women, and children, as well as millions of others, who were systematically murdered during the Holocaust.

The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for significant reform to the country’s immigration detention system, after a new report into the treatment of women in detention found their rights, safety and wellbeing are being widely overlooked. These failures, it found, are compounding the risk to women of harassment, violence, and ill health.

Australia’s First Nations children deserve a brighter future where governments safeguard their wellbeing, rights and dignity, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss said today on International Human Rights Day.

National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds has welcomed the interim findings by the first ever Senate Inquiry into Australia’s child justice and incarceration system.

Image design copyright Bree Buttenshaw for Saltwater People (2024). Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner today launched the most comprehensive plan ever for eliminating racism in Australia. Developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission with dedicated funding from the Australian Government, the National Anti-Racism Framework provides a roadmap for governments, business and…

The Australian Human Rights Commission has supported a private member’s bill that would recognise the human right to adequate housing and support improved housing outcomes for all Australians. 

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement today that a new position will be created for a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Commissioner. Advocates and peak bodies representing Australia’s First Nations children have long sought a National Commissioner to promote the rights, interests and wellbeing of First Nations children…

The National Children’s Commissioner has expressed alarm about the impact of rising antisemitism in Australia on the wellbeing of Jewish children and young people.

Explore an inspection report by the Commission that found serious human rights concerns persist in the use of hotels as alternative places of detention.

The National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds has welcomed the Federal Health Minister’s announcement of a national review of healthcare for trans and gender diverse children.

Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody has voiced concerns about the suspension of hormone therapies for minors in Queensland pending an independent review

As most Australian children return to school today, they are being invited to share their stories about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their wellbeing, and how they have coped.

Up to 71 asylum seekers who missed out on making an application for a protection visa were still entitled to a fair assessment of their claims the Full Federal Court has held. The Court accepted submissions from the Australian Human Rights Commission that an internal process established by the Department of Home Affairs should have provided them with procedural fairness. As a result of the …

The Voice is a once in a lifetime opportunity to unite all Australians. It is the first time in Australia’s history that we are on a collective path to recognising First Nations peoples’ deep connection to this continent, and our remarkable civilisation. It is an opportunity to have a society of inclusion, unity and recognition. The referendum is also an opportunity to overcome division, to…

More than 1,000 asylum seekers have a greater ability to apply for protection in Australia following a landmark judgment by the Federal Court on Tuesday. “When a person seeks asylum in Australia, it’s vital that their application be processed quickly, fairly and transparently. This judgment will remove administrative barriers for a vulnerable group of people who have been waiting too long to…

Commission President Hugh de Kretser's opening statement to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, Inquiry into Antisemitism at Australian Universities.