Reappointment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the reappointment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO. 

Australian Human Rights Commission President Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM said Commissioner Oscar would continue to be a strong advocate for Indigenous Aboriginal languages, social justice and women’s issues.   

“This is an excellent opportunity for Commissioner Oscar to be recognised for the significant contributions she has made as the first Aboriginal woman appointed to the role and to continue her leadership in applying a human rights-based approach to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities,” President Croucher said. 

Attorney-General Michaelia Cash announced on Tuesday 5 April 2022 Commissioner Oscar’s reappointment for a further two years, effective from 3 April 2022. 

Commissioner Oscar said she will use her extended term to highlight needed changes to the Native Title system, advocate for justice reform—particularly in relation to youth—and continue to elevate the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls through Stage Three of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project. 

“We continue to be focused on the implementation of the Wiyi Yani U Thangani report which sets out First Nations women and girls’ aspirations for structural reform,” Commissioner Oscar said.

Over the course of Stage Three the Wiyi Yani U Thangani Implementation Framework, released in February this year, will be refined through further research and engagement in preparation for dialogues at a national summit in 2023.

First Nations women will discuss and come to agreement at the national summit on the strategic focus of an independent National Framework for Action to advance First Nations gender justice and equality.

June Oscar AO is a proud Bunuba woman from the remote town of Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley region. She has held a raft of influential positions including Deputy Director of the Kimberley Land Council and was CEO of Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre. She led a successful community driven campaign for alcohol restrictions in Fitzroy Crossing, and is an international advocate on the impacts of trauma and FASD. 

In 2016, she was the recipient of the Desmond Tutu Global Reconciliation Award and was named NAIDOC person of the year in 2018. June was first appointed as Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on 3 April 2017.