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Asylum Seekers and Refugees
7 December 2023Opinion pieceHasty detainee laws raise human rights concerns
Read an opinion piece from Australia's Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay raising concerns about the passage of new laws responding to the fallout from the recent NZYQ High Court decision. -
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… -
Rights and Freedoms
15 March 2024SpeechFree + Equal: Australian Conversation on Human Rights Opening Remarks
Opening Remarks Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM President, Australian Human Rights Commission Check against delivery Your Excellency, Dr Michele Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; Australian Human Rights Commission Commissioners—Dr Ben Gauntlett, Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan, Sex Discrimination… -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-18
The complainant identifies as a transgender woman and contacted the respondent insurer for the purposes of obtaining a quote for life insurance. She alleged a staff member of the insurer addressed her as ‘sir’ and told her that she would be assessed for life insurance as a male, despite identifying as female. The insurer explained a staff member initially addressed the complainant as ‘sir’… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
23 October 2019Publication
Use of force in immigration detention
The issue of the use of force in immigration detention has been raised in a range of complaints against the Department of Home Affairs received by the Commission. This report deals thematically with 14 complaints. -
Legal
30 January 2019SubmissionMigration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018
1 Introduction 1. The Commission makes this submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee in relation to the Migration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018 (Cth) (the Bill) introduced by the Australian Government. 2 Summary 2. The Commission welcomes the opportunity to make a submission in relation to this Bill. 3. The Bill seeks to retrospectively… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
26 July 2019Media Release
Transferring asylum seeker families to Nauru – human rights report
The practice of sending to Nauru families with young children who arrived in Australia seeking asylum is the subject of an inquiry report by the Australian Human Rights Commission tabled in Parliament today. [1] Mr Richard Lancaster SC, as delegate of the President, found that the regional processing centre on Nauru was not an appropriate place to send families with young children… -
Rights and Freedoms
8 May 2024Media Release
60% student discount announced for landmark national human rights event
Organisers of a major national human rights conference have just announced a 60% discount for students who want to attend the historic gathering in June during the Vivid Sydney festival. Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference is set to attract hundreds of delegates from across Australia’s human rights, civil society, legal, justice,… -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-15
The complainant is deaf and uses Auslan to communicate. She said she was offered the use of Auslan interpreters on three occasions when she first started work at the respondent public hospital. However, she said no further Auslan support was provided over the ensuing years, meaning she was often unable to understand what was being said at meetings or training courses, including information… -
Disability Rights
7 May 2024Webpage
Lessons from IncludeAbility
Watch the webinar with the Centre for Social Impact Swinburne on the background, lessons and evaluation findings from IncludeAbility as well as next steps... -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-11
The complainant’s two young children use wheelchairs for mobility. She alleged customers using the respondent ticket booking service to book wheelchair accessible seating could not do so online, and must instead use a telephone booking service which was difficult to reach. The booking service acknowledged that the process for booking accessible seating is lengthier than the online process… -
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… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
20 June 2023Media Release
Inspection report: Serious human rights concerns in hotel detention
Explore an inspection report by the Commission that found serious human rights concerns persist in the use of hotels as alternative places of detention. -
Rights and Freedoms
4 February 2019Speech
Roles, responsibilities and challenges
The Australian Human Rights Commission—roles, responsibilities and challenges Supreme and Federal Court Judges’ Conference 2019 Hobart, 22 January 2019 Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM [Professor Croucher spoke to this paper] Introduction I begin my presentation by acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land, and pay my respect to the elders, past, present, and emerging… -
Sex Discrimination
8 February 2023Media ReleaseCommission welcomes parliament’s codes of conduct and improved workplace safety
The codes set standards of conduct for parliamentarians, staffers, and all other employees in parliamentary workplaces. They were endorsed by the Senate this morning and debated in the House, which is expected to also endorse them soon. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
27 May 2021SpeechSpeech for Reconciliation Week
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO made this speech at the WA Reconciliation Breakfast on May 29, 2021 Yaningi warangira ngindaji yuwa muwayi ingirranggu, Bunuba yani U. Balangarri wadjirragali jarra ningi gamali ngindaji yau muwayi nyirrami ngarri thangani. Yaningi miya ngindaji Muwayi ingga winyira ngirranggu thangani. Yathawarra, wilalawarra -
Commission – General
12 March 2024SpeechA Revitalised National Human Rights Framework for Australia
Marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Fraser Oration Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM FAAL FRSA FACLM(Hon) Introduction Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Maskell, Dean Matthew Harding, Mrs Tamie Fraser and the Fraser family, Melbourne Law School staff, distinguished guests, friends I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
7 June 2024Speech
AIATSIS Summit: Plenary Panel Discussion
Address by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss to AIATSIS Summit 2024. -
Rights and Freedoms
14 April 2023Media Release
Commission welcomes banning of spit hoods by AFP
A decision by the Australian Federal Police to end the use of spit hoods has been welcomed by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Today the AFP announced the AFP and ACT police will no longer use spit hoods, and instead the AFP will provide ‘alternative equipment and implement procedures to better protect officers from spitting and biting.’ The decision follows a review initiated last… -
Children's Rights
16 September 2020Opinion pieceGreater focus needed on kids during pandemic
Since lockdown restrictions were introduced in March, the national 24/7 counselling and support service Kids Helpline has received a significant increase in the volume of children and young people seeking help, up 24% to the end of August compared to 2019. The concerns they raised in counselling sessions provide important insights into how governments, parents and educators can better…