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Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner says thousands of older Australians are being robbed and cheated out of millions of dollars every year because of a dysfunctional enduring power-of-attorney (EPOA) framework. The Commissioner is calling on state and territory Attorneys-General to commit to fixing the problem at the Standing Council of Attorneys-General meeting in Darwin this week…

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…

Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds says ”confronting new findings from the Australian Child Maltreatment Study provide evidence, for the first time, of the scale of child maltreatment in Australia. "Child maltreatment is a much bigger problem than we thought, leading to serious negative lifelong harms for children, and massive costs to the community. “The ground…

The deadline for sponsored delegate applications for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani National Summit has been extended to Sunday 2 April 2023.

View a statement by Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

The Attorney-General, The Hon Mark Dreyfus KC today announced that Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Ben Gauntlett has been appointed as Deputy Commissioner to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.

This historic event is set to inform a range of new approaches for advancing the rights, health, safety, wellbeing and economic opportunities of First Nations women and girls.

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan said the reported racial abuse directed at NRL player Latrell Mitchell demonstrates the need for professional sports organisations, including clubs and codes, to work together to address spectator racism.

Australia is the only liberal democracy that does not have an act or charter of rights at the national level, and there are currently very few legal protections for the fundamental rights of Australians.

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.

Commissioner June Oscar AO has given her support to the reported recommendations of the Federal Government’s Northern Territory Regional Controller Dorelle Anderson to introduce temporary alcohol restrictions across communities in Central Australia following a recent increase in crime and violence in the region. 

The Respect@Work Council has published new guidelines on the use of confidentiality clauses in settling workplace sexual harassment cases, and good practice indicators to assist organisations prevent and respond to workplace sexual harassment.

The report identifies data collection and education on racism, and cultural safety as key themes. It also identifies media regulation, standards, and legal protections as priority areas for action. 

The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Actuaries Institute (Institute) today said while artificial intelligence (AI) promises faster and smarter decision making, safeguards are needed to prevent potential discrimination.

The survey found that reporting of workplace sexual harassment remains alarmingly low, at only 18%. Women (41%) were far more likely than men (26%) to experience harassment, and more than three quarters of harassers were men (77%).

The Bill creates a positive duty requiring employers to implement measures to prevent sexual harassment, sex discrimination and victimisation, and confers new regulatory powers on the Commission.

The report is an outcome of the recent Wiyi Yani U Thangani First Nations Women's Safety Policy Forum which was held virtually in September and which brought together over 150 participants from all around the country, the majority being First Nations women.

Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner is set to appear before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva next week to provide analysis of how Australia measures up against our obligations under the UN’s Convention Against Torture (CAT) and its associated Optional Protocol (OPCAT).

“Australia’s continued success as a multicultural nation must include an ongoing commitment to addressing racism,” the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.

The Respect@Work Council, chaired by National Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins, has launched a new website that will help employers prevent and respond to sexual harassment, and will support them to create gender inclusive, safe, and respectful workplaces.