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Age Discrimination
8 August 2023SpeechBuilding a better cultural inheritance for an ageing Australia
Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO Age Discrimination Commissioner Keynote Address to National Press Club of Australia, Canberra Wednesday, 28 June, 2023 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Welcome Thank you Andrew Tillett (National Press Club Vice President) for your kind introduction. I am sometimes introduced incorrectly, but maybe more accurately, as the Ageing Discrimination Commissioner. I wish to acknowledge… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
26 February 2021Media ReleaseMedia Statement on alleged attack on First Nations woman
A statement from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO: “My heart goes out to the First Nations woman and her daughter who were allegedly attacked on Saturday by a man displaying white supremacist insignia in Perth. A racially-motivated attack is not only a physical assault, it is an attempt to terrorise people for who they are and an attempt to… -
Race Discrimination
26 October 2020Media ReleaseKep Enderby Memorial Lecture
Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture: Racial Equality in the Time of COVID The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected Australia’s diverse communities. From the racial targeting of Asian Australians to the hard lockdown imposed on residents in Melbourne’s public housing towers, the pandemic has also raised questions about the place of diverse communities in Australian society. The Australian… -
Rights and Freedoms
29 August 2019Publication
Discussion paper: A model for positive human rights reform
This paper outlines what our current system of human rights protections looks like, how it is and isn’t effective in ensuring that government respects, protects and fulfils our human rights, why reforming the current system is critical, and options for reform. -
Commission – General
10 December 2020Media ReleaseRosemary Kayess gives 2020 Human Rights Oration
Leading disability rights advocate Rosemary Kayess will give the 2020 Human Rights Day Oration today. Last year’s Human Rights Medal winner, and a contributor to the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Rosemary Kayess will discuss the social transformation of CRPD and the impact it has had on the community as well as her work with the Disability… -
Children's Rights
19 April 2021Media ReleaseGovernments must prioritise raising the age
National Children’s Commissioner, Anne Hollonds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, June Oscar AO have urged all Australian governments to raise the age of criminal responsibility as a matter of priority. A report commissioned by a meeting of Attorneys-General in July last year recommended that all jurisdictions raise the age and ensure younger teenagers… -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2021-04-12
The complainant’s sex assigned at birth was female but they identify as non-binary/gender-fluid and is attracted to women. The complainant wished to attend an event hosted by the respondent. The website stated that the dress code was formal and that women must wear a dress and men must wear pants. The complainant alleged the respondent declined their request to wear a shirt and pants. The -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2021-04-13
The complainant is from Sri Lanka and was employed as a casual team member at the respondent supermarket. He alleged the respondent manager reduced his shifts while employing new Anglo-Saxon/white Australian staff. He also alleged Anglo-Saxon/white Australian staff were allocated less onerous duties, such as selling cigarettes and newspapers and monitoring self-checkout counters as opposed… -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2021-02-13
The complainant is Sikh and Punjabi and wears a turban over his unshorn hair. He alleged the respondent university required him to wear the graduation trencher hat in order to participate in his graduation ceremony. The complainant said he could not fit the trencher over his turban and could not remove the turban for religious and practical reasons. He alleged university staff were rude and … -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2020-04-03
The complainant has schizophrenia and a back injury and was employed in an IT role with the respondent government agency. He alleged he was treated less favourably because he has schizophrenia, including by being excluded from the workplace, being given excessive work to perform at home, having his personal property tampered with and being referred to as ‘weird’. He also alleged the agency… -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2021-02-06
The complainant has macula degeneration, which causes vision loss. The respondent transportation company terminated the complainant’s employment as an engineer at the end of his probation period. The complainant alleged the company failed to provide him with timely feedback on his performance and failed to provide him with adjustments to enable him to perform the inherent requirements of his… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
7 May 2021Media Release
Kimberley Aboriginal Women develop regional action plan
This week 100 women, including 85 Kimberley Aboriginal women, gathered for a three-day roundtable to commence development of a regional action plan and establish the Kimberley Aboriginal Women’s Council. The roundtable, held from May 4-6, 2021, was convened in response to the landmark Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) report released by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner… -
16 March 2022Conciliation register
2020-10-01
The complainant is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. He alleged that the respondent council built a bridge that is not compliant with the relevant disability standard. He claimed pedestrians using wheelchairs were required to cross to roads, whereas pedestrians not using mobility aids were not required to do so. The council claimed the disability standard did not apply to the bridge, but… -
Disability Rights
30 October 2020SubmissionSubmission in response to the National Disability Strategy: Position Paper (2020)
1. Introduction The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) welcomes the opportunity to provide the Department of Social Services (DSS) with this submission in response to the National Disability Strategy: Position Paper [i] (the Position Paper) regarding the development of a new National Disability Strategy (the New Strategy). The Commission is Australia’s national human rights … -
8 April 2022Conciliation register
2020-10-08
The complainant’s son has fragile X syndrome and an intellectual disability and needs assistance when handling money, paying bills and accessing his bank account. The complainant had been assisting her son with his banking at the respondent bank and claimed the bank told her that third-party authorisation would continue after he turned 18. She alleged that when her son turned 18, the bank… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
16 July 2019Publication
Lives on hold: Refugees and asylum seekers in the 'Legacy caseload' (2019)
This report examines the human rights implications of policies affecting asylum seekers in the ‘Legacy Caseload’. -
Children's Rights
28 July 2020Media Release
Commission welcomes new Children’s Commissioner
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of Ms Anne Hollonds to the role of the National Children’s Commissioner. “I am delighted by the appointment of Ms Hollonds to the Australian Human Rights Commission,” said Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM. “On behalf of the Commissioners and staff I warmly welcome Ms Hollonds. She is one of Australia… -
Disability Rights
30 July 2020Publication
Access under Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport
These Guidelines have been developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) to provide clear and practical assistance to facilitate compliance with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 (Cth) (the Transport Standards) through the use of equivalent access. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
21 January 2019Publication
Australian Human Rights Commission Inspection of Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation: Report (2018)
This report contains an overview of key observations and concerns arising from the Australian Human Rights Commission’s inspection of the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation (BITA) facility in September 2017. -
Sex Discrimination
17 January 2019Publication
Guidelines: Special measures under Sex Discrimination Act 1984(Cth)
These guidelines provide practical guidance to organisations and individuals to encourage the implementation of special measures. They are intended to offer a means by which workplaces and education and service providers, as well as administrators of Commonwealth law and programs, can assess their own equity initiatives for consistency with the SDA.