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Employers18 February 2015Quick Guide
Gender Identity
The Sex Discrimination Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their gender identity. There are some limited exemptions. Gender identity discrimination happens when a person is treated less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of that person’s gender-related identity, appearance, mannerisms or other gender-related characteristics of the… -
19 September 2018Webpage
Complaints
We investigate and resolve complaints of discrimination and breaches of human rights. You can make a complaint no matter where you live in Australia. Our service is free, impartial and informal. -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageMarriage Legislation Amendment Bill 2004
1. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission ('the Commission') is established by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth). It is Australia's national human rights institution. -
Commission – General
31 August 2016WebpageTickets
Join us at the 2017 Human Rights Awards! The 2017 Human Rights Awards ceremony is on Friday 8 December from 12 to 3pm at the Westin Hotel Sydney. The event is a lunch and includes a 2-course meal and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There will be plenty of time to network and mingle with other guests, as well as to hear from some of the extraordinary people working in human rights. If… -
12 February 2013Book page
3 Promotion and protection of human rights on the ground
3.1 Equality before the law and non-discrimination A prominent theme throughout Australia’s UPR was the unacceptable level of disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, with 50 of the countries that spoke during the interactive dialogue referring to issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. [15] Since its appearance the Australian… -
Employers19 February 2015Quick Guide
Tattoos
Employers will sometimes set rules regarding the appearance of their employees in the workplace. However, it is important to ensure that any proposed rules that affect people with tattoos do not amount to discrimination. Discrimination is against the law when people are treated unfairly because of a personal attribute that is protected by law, including race, sex and gender identity -
Employers18 February 2015Quick Guide
Direct Discrimination
Understanding Direct Discrimination. Learn about unlawful treatment based on protected characteristics. -
Employers18 February 2015Quick Guide
Hearing Impairment
Hearing impairments can be covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. The Act makes it against the law to discriminate against a person because of disability. There are some limited exceptions and exemptions. It is not unlawful to discriminate against an employee on the basis of their disability if the person cannot perform the inherent requirements of a job after reasonable adjustments… -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2000: Chapter 5: Implementing the amendments to the Native Title Act
In 1999 and 2000 the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (the CERD Committee) and the Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the United Nations both criticised the 1998 amendments to the Native Title Act 1993 (the NTA) as limiting the rights of Indigenous people.(1) The committees found that the amendments were discriminatory and recommended that Australia either suspend implementation… -
Employers13 February 2015Quick Guide
Carers
Caring responsibilities can include caring for young children, for children or adults with disabilities, mental illness, chronic illness, or for older people. Many employees will have caring responsibilities at different times in their lives. Employers have an obligation to avoid discrimination against carers in some circumstances. Under the Sex Discrimination Act, it is against the law for … -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Report No. 26
Pursuant to s 31(b)(ii) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth), I attach, on behalf of the Commission, a report of an inquiry conducted by my predecessor, Professor Alice Tay. The inquiry dealt with a complaint of discrimination in employment by Mr Kenneth Douglas against the Commonwealth of Australia (Australian Defence Force). -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
Commission submissions: Clarke
The Commission has an interest and expertise in relation to the interpretation of the RDA, the application of the International Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD),[1] and racial discrimination issues generally, as set out in paragraphs 14 and 15 of the affidavit of Ms Branson dated 18 July 2011. -
Education28 November 2014Publication
RightsEd: Tackling Disability Discrimination in Sport
Almost 4 million Australians live with disabilities. If we add families, friends and colleagues, the number of people affected by disability is larger still. This resource explores how we can protect the rights of people with disability in sport. -
Rights and Freedoms
16 July 2013WebpageDIAC Response to the 2012 Australian Human Rights Commission Report on Immigration Detention at Christmas Island
back to Commission's Immigration detention on Christmas Island report (2012) Department of Immigration and Citizenship Response to the 2012 Australian Human Rights Commission Report on Immigration Detention at Christmas Island Download in PDF [ 36 KB ] Download in Word [ 126 KB ] Introduction The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the… -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
CHEN YUAN FA v Federal Government
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission ("the Commission") was established by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth) ("the HREOC Act"). On 13 April 1995, Carr J. directed that leave be granted to the Commission, pursuant to s.11(1)(o) of the HREOC Act, to file and serve written submissions in these matters limited to the issues referred to… -
LGBTIQ+
28 June 2017Project
Sogi's Story
This is SOGI’s Story, but it’s many others too. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is pervasive across many parts of the world. Addressing this burden of discrimination has been identified as a key issue by the Commonwealth Forum of National Human Rights Institutions. Recognising the importance and power of education, SOGI’s Story has been designed in -
Commission – General
9 May 2019Webpage
Accessibility
"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." - Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web -
Employers18 February 2015Quick Guide
Medical Assessment
Some organisations include a medical assessment as part of their recruitment process to gather additional information that will be used to select the successful candidate. However, it is important that employers do not discriminate against any candidate when using this information. It is against the law to refuse to employ a person based on information from a medical examination that… -
Rights and Freedoms
1 May 2013Webpage
Freedom of information, opinion and expression
The ICCPR safeguards freedom of expression and opinion, vital for democratic societies. Find out how legal restrictions apply. -
Employers13 February 2015Quick Guide
Conciliation
If a complaint of discrimination or harassment is made to the Australian Human Rights Commission, the complaint may be resolved through a process known as ‘conciliation’. Conciliation is an informal, flexible approach to resolving complaints. The Commission tries to help everyone involved in the complaint to understand the issues and find a solution that is acceptable to everyone. We do not…