Refine results
-
Commission – General
9 October 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)October 2024: Commission News | President's message
Dear friends, Australia is one of the safest, most stable and prosperous countries on the planet. For most of us, most of the time, it is a great place to live. For many Australians, human rights violations are things that happen to other people in other places, often overseas. This can lead to complacency about our own rights protection and the importance of protecting the rights of those… -
Children's Rights
4 October 2019Media ReleaseUN calls for national action to protect the rights of children and young people in Australia
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is calling on Australia to prioritise raising the age of criminal responsibility as part of its Concluding Observations on Australia's performance in protecting the country's children and young people. This comes at a time when there is a strong push around the country to improve our responses to juvenile offending and do more to divert children… -
Rights and Freedoms
11 October 2016SpeechPeering through human rights-tinted glasses
Annual Lecture, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law. Given at the State Library of Victoria on 7 October 2016. This year, we celebrate (or mourn, according to your perspective) the 60th anniversary of the first computer to defeat a human in chess. It occurred, predictably enough, in Los Alomos, and the human was a novice. Over the next 30 years, the best humans easily saw off the best… -
14 December 2012Book page
Resolving discrimination and human rights issues - Annual Report 2009-2010: Australian Human Rights Commission
Our complaints process provides a way in which individuals and groups can voice and resolve disputes about discrimination and human rights. Our complaint work is also central to our role in protecting and promoting human rights and complements our policy and education work. The number and type of complaints we receive often highlight systemic discrimination problems. We use this information to… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
11 October 2024WebpageInforming The Agenda Consultations
Informing the Agenda Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners Term 2024-2029 Katie Kiss commenced in the role as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on 3 April 2024. To ensure the voices of First Nations people across Australia help form the agenda for the term, the Commissioner is conducting a national listening tour to hear from… -
Children's Rights
19 December 2016Speech
Launch of Children's Rights Report 2016
Introduction Good morning everyone. I want to begin by speaking about an artwork submitted by a young person detained in a youth justice centre. This was sent to me as an entry to an art competition I ran for children and young people in youth justice centres this year. I asked them to show me how they felt, what they wished for and what they needed. Many of the entries can be seen around… -
Children's Rights
24 December 2019Video
Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, winner of the 2019 Young People's Human Rights Medal
Receiving her award, Young People’s Human Rights Medal Winner Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts said, “The system does not work for our kids who are incarcerated - my mind and my spirit can't help but think of those young people that aren't here right now. “I ask that every single person assess your privilege and show up on the front line. We need to amplify those voices and we need to raise those… -
14 December 2012Book page
Resolving discrimination and human rights issues - Annual Report 2009-2010: Australian Human Rights Commission
We can also investigate complaints about alleged breaches of human rights by the Commonwealth and its agencies, as well as discrimination in employment based on a person’s sexual preference, criminal record, trade union activity, political opinion, religion or social origin. -
Commission – General
1 August 2016Webpage
Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Edward Santow
Mr Edward Santow Former Human Rights Commissioner (2016-2021) Edward Santow was Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission from August 2016 to 28 July 2021. Ed leads the Commission’s work on technology and human rights; refugees and migration; human rights issues affecting LGBTI people; counter-terrorism and national security; freedom of expression; and implementing… -
Age Discrimination
20 May 2016PublicationEuthanasia, human rights and the law
This issues paper explores voluntary euthanasia by looking at the domestic regulatory environment in comparison to relevant international laws. It concludes with a human rights-based analysis of voluntary euthanasia and some commentary on the practice informed by human rights principles. -
Rights and Freedoms
3 September 2019Media Release
Statement by Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill
“For more than 20 years, the Australian Human Rights Commission has called for reform to prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of religious and other beliefs. “Any reform in this area must protect the human rights of all people in Australia, regardless of their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or any other status. “We will be studying the content of the draft Bill… -
Children's Rights
14 April 2015Speech
Embedding children’s rights into children’s services
YMCA 2015 National Children’s Services Conference Moonee Valley Racing Club, Victoria Saturday 21 March 2015 Introduction Good morning and thank you for the introduction. I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I’d like to thank YMCA for… -
Children's Rights
10 October 2024Speech
National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds Press Club address
Read the speech to the National Press Club about her major report 'Help Way Earlier!: How Australia can transform child justice and improve safety and wellbeing'. -
Disability Rights
30 June 2015PublicationMental Health Legislation and Human Rights
This paper presents an indicative analysis of the mental health legislation in each State and Territory in terms of recently agreed international standards - the UN Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care. The legislation in every Australian jurisdiction breaches the standards prescribed in the UN Principles in a number of ways… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
25 June 2019Media Release
Hear Us, See Us exhibition launched at UN Human Rights Council
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has launched the Hear Us, See Us exhibition at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The exhibition includes photos and videos of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls who took part in national consultations for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project -
Rights and Freedoms
18 February 2015Speech
Beyond human rights to exercising freedoms
National Press Club, Wednesday, 18th February 2015 - Why freedom matters -
Sex Discrimination
3 December 2020SpeechThe Beijing Platform for Action, 25 years on: Progress, Retreat and the Future of Women's Rights
Beijing Platform for Action at 25: Progress, Retreat and the Future of Women's Rights Opening Address Thursday 3 December, 10:00 am Kate Jenkins, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Hello everyone. My name is Kate Jenkins, and I have had the honour of serving as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner for the past four years. I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional lands of… -
Education28 November 2014Publication
RightsEd: Disability Rights: Accessibility and Liveability
The Disability Rights: Accessibility and Liveability resource explores urban planning, community inclusion, and strategies to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. -
Education25 February 2015Webpage
Statistics and factsheets on disability rights
Discover statistics on disability rights in Australia. Get the facts and figures you need to better understand human rights and inclusivity. -
Children's Rights
28 August 2020Webpage
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child in November 1989. The Convention came into force on 2 September 1990. Read the Convention.