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Children's Rights
21 November 2024News storyProposed Social Media Ban for Under-16s in Australia
The Australian Government is proposing laws that will require technology companies to restrict individuals under the age of 16 years from accessing their social media platforms. -
Children's Rights
7 June 2024Webpage
Greater focus needed on kids during pandemic
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Rights and Freedoms
3 May 2024Opinion pieceWe need debate on sensible limits on free speech
When president Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the 1941 State of the Union address he spoke of four essential human freedoms people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy. The very first of these was freedom of speech and expression. Free speech was listed first because it is the bedrock of democracy. Salman Rushdie famously described it as “the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is… -
Technology and Human Rights
16 August 2023News story
Australia Needs AI Regulation
Learn more about how Australia must regulate AI to ensure that it is ethical and that it protects and promotes human rights. -
Children's Rights
21 November 2024News story
New animation – ‘Do things with the information we tell you’
In the Supporting Quality Engagement with Children 2023 Final Report, children and young people said they want to see action based on what they told us about their lived experience. -
13 November 2024Conciliation register
2024-02-04
The complainant uses a wheelchair. She alleged she had difficulty accessing the respondent retail outlet because aisles were obstructed by boxes, displays and decorations. She claimed when she raised the issue with the store manager she was treated in a disrespectful manner. The retailer advised the complainant’s experience was an isolated incident and inconsistent with its policies. The… -
Technology and Human Rights
2 July 2023Opinion piece
Australia needs to be a world leader in ethical AI
Find out more about how Australia can be a leader in responsible and ethical artificial intelligence. -
Technology and Human Rights
3 August 2023Submission
The Need for Human Rights-centred AI
Learn more about ethical AI and why Australia must protect human rights from the possible harms of AI. -
Rights and Freedoms
20 January 2023Opinion piece
Australia needs to deliver on our treaty promises
As with any agreement, there are certain requirements that OPCAT signatories need to fulfill, and Australia has been given longer than any other country to meet our OPCAT commitments. Today – 20 January 2023 – is our extended compliance deadline, and Australia has failed to deliver on our promises. -
Business and Human Rights
6 November 2024Opinion piecePandemic probe: Statistics can’t capture the loss of trust and confidence
The Covid-19 response inquiry report is an important first step, but there is much more that needs to be done if the government wants to start rebuilding public trust. The number one lesson should be that response measures do not operate in a vacuum. The full human impact needs to be understood and human rights need to be embedded into future emergency responses. The 877-page inquiry report… -
Business and Human Rights
25 July 2023News story
What businesses need to know about the Modern Slavery Review
Learn more about business obligations in respect of modern slavery following the Modern Slavery Act review. -
Commission – General
13 March 2023Opinion pieceA national Human Rights Act needs to be introduced in Australia
Opinion piece by Commission President Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM, first published in the Canberra Times. -
Children's Rights
21 July 2022Media Release
Government action needed to protect children in detention
Learn how the Human Rights Commission is deeply concerned about the safety and wellbeing of teenagers who were kept in adult detention centres. -
24 January 2017Opinion piece
We need a national picture of domestic violence homicides
Authors Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins and President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Professor Gillian Triggs In March 2010, shortly after making the decision to leave her abusive husband after more than 20 years of violence, Zahra Abrahimzadeh was stabbed to death in front of 300 witnesses inside the Adelaide Convention Centre. Two years later, her husband was… -
Rights and Freedoms
22 April 2021Media Release
Greater scrutiny of emergency powers needed
The Australian Human Rights Commission has called for greater accountability to be embedded in laws that extend the Commonwealth’s power in the event of national emergencies. In its submission to a Senate inquiry examining the National Emergency Declaration Act 2020, the Commission recommended five changes to legislation that was enacted by parliament in 2020. Human Rights Commissioner… -
27 November 2015Book page
The need for better engagement - Year in review
1.1 Introduction In last year’s Social Justice and Native Title Report, I raised concerns about the changes resulting from the 2014-15 Budget and the restructure to Indigenous Affairs through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS). Despite initial concerns about how these changes would impact our communities, I indicated that the streamlining of programs and the move away from a ‘one size… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 December 2012Opinion piece
Opinion Pieces - Immigration detention laws need reviewing (2008)
This is an often depressing tour that we at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) undertake every year to monitor the conditions of immigration detention in Australia for compliance with internationally recognised human rights obligations. We tour and inspect the facilities, interview the staff and meet with the detainees themselves. -
14 December 2012Book page
Human rights - what do I need to know? (2008)
All Australians have human rights. Human rights are universal: they are for everyone, everywhere, everyday. Human rights are based on values such as freedom, equality and dignity and seek to protect our quality of life. -
13 November 2024Conciliation register
2024-04-04
The complainant has a 6 month old exclusively breastfed baby and applied to the respondent educational body to sit a tertiary level admissions test. She alleged she was informed two days before the exam that she would not be permitted to breastfeed her baby on demand but rather, during the lunch break. The complainant noted this would mean she would not have a lunch break like others sitting… -
Rights and Freedoms
3 March 2023Speech
Making rights a reality: the need for a Human Rights Act for Australia
This presentation, on International Human Rights Day, advances the case for a Human Rights Act for Australia, reflecting on experiences during COVID and the difference a Human Rights Act may have made.