The human rights of people who are in immigration detention are of special concern to the Commission. Liberty is a fundamental human right, recognised in major human rights instruments to which Australia is a party.
For over 20 years now, the Commission has advocated for more comprehensive legal protection in Australia for freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
The Free and Equal conference was the centrepiece of a national conversation and once-in-a-decade event. The conference was held at the Hyatt Regency Sydney on Tuesday 8 October 2019.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Native title is a property right which reflects a relationship to land which is the very foundation of Indigenous religion, culture and well-being. The non-discriminatory protection of native title is a recognised human right.
In 2014, former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson MP conducted a national consultation on rights and responsibilities. The outcomes from this consultation are outlined in the Rights and Responsibilities Consultation Report 2015. The importance of, and threats to, religious freedom was...
To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, the Australian Human Rights Commission has created a series of online educational resources which explore the evolution of human rights since 1215 and the impact that Magna Carta has had on our human rights and freedoms in Australia. The digital...
In 2014, former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson MP conducted a national consultation about how well Australia protects people's rights and freedoms.
Freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental human right protected by a number of international treaties and declarations, including article 18(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This right encompasses freedom of thought on all matters and the freedom to...
The Commission seeks to ensure that the human rights of all people held in immigration detention in Australia are protected. The Commission has focused its recent immigration detention work on the conditions and treatment of asylum seekers, refugees and children, because they have specific...