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The year 2001 marked the tenth anniversary of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The 5 volumes and 339 recommendations that comprise the national report of Commissioner Johnston remain among the most extensive, frank and devastating examinations of the impact of colonialism on the Indigenous peoples of this country.

DR OZDOWSKI: It is 9.30 so we will start another day off, formal hearings. My name is Dr Sev Ozdowski and I'm the Human Rights Commissioner. To my right is Dr Trang Thomas, Professor of Psychology at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and to my left Mrs Robin Sullivan, Queensland's Children's Commissioner. Both of them do assist me with the Inquiry as Assistant Commissioners. Also, on my…

Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 31/01/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 22/02/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 21/03/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 03/04/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 29/04/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 06/05/2002 Letter to Mr Philip Ruddock MP 09/06/2002

The United Nations Youth Association of Australia welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention. The issue of immigration detention for children has been coming under increased scrutiny in the past eight months. As far as it affects our international standing, the standards by which we treat children and…

The preceding chapters of this report are a summary of the main issues raised in the submissions and consultations already conducted by the Inquiry. The issues have been grouped into themes as follows:

DR OZDOWSKI: I would like to formally open this public hearing which is one of a series of hearings conducted around Australia. My name is Sev Ozdowski and I'm the Human Rights Commissioner. I have two colleagues sitting with me, Mrs Robin Sullivan who is Queensland Children's Commissioner, who is assisting with the Inquiry and Dr Trang Thomas who is Professor of Psychology at the Royal Melbourne…

This chapter addresses the impact of the detention environment on the mental health of children and the measures taken to address their mental health needs. Consistent with the breadth of protection given to the welfare of children under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Inquiry uses the term mental health to describe the psychological well-being of children as well as…

The Social Justice Report 2003 is the fifth report by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Dr William Jonas. It was tabled in federal Parliament, along with the Native Title Report 2003, in March 2004.

Indigenous children throughout Australia remain very significantly over-represented `in care' and in contact with welfare authorities. Their over-representation increases as the intervention becomes more coercive, with the greatest over-representation being in out-of-home care. Indigenous children appear to be particularly over-represented in long-term foster care arrangements. A high percentage…

This chapter explains how the provisions of international human rights treaties protect same-sex couples and their children, in the context of accessing financial and work-related entitlements. In particular, this chapter focuses on the right to non-discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. It also describes how the breach of that right can interfere with a range of other basic human…

When it can be obtained, verified documentary evidence from a person’s country of origin can be reliable evidence of that person’s age. Consequently, the making of enquiries in Indonesia about whether such documentary evidence exists is an important means of age assessment. When they are made, such enquiries are ordinarily part of the investigation process conducted by the Australian…

Most children come to Australia with their parents, but some come alone, either sent by their family for their protection or because they have lost their family in a crisis.