Rights and Freedoms
Free and Equal: An Australian conversation on human rights
What makes an effective system of human rights protection for 21st century Australia? What are we doing well and what steps do we still need to take?
Projects
Rights and Freedoms
Rights and Freedoms
Discrimination in Employment and Occupation
Discrimination in Employment and Occupation This page has been superseded by our page Work Out Your Rights - Info for Employees
Rights and Freedoms
Corporate Social Responsibility
The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed four short fact sheets to help Australian companies meet their responsibility to respect the human rights of those people impacted by their activities.
Rights and Freedoms
Prisoners Rights
Prisoners, just like all other people, are entitled to enjoy their human rights. Prisoners can make complaints to the Commission about human rights breaches and discrimination that occurs in prison.
Rights and Freedoms
Right to vote
The right to vote is not enjoyed equally by all Australians A healthy democracy makes sure that all members of the community have equal access to the political process. Australia is a democratic nation where governments are elected by popular vote. However, even though almost all Australians over 18...
Rights and Freedoms
Let's talk about rights - Human Rights Act for Australia
The Australian Human Rights Commission supports a Human Rights Act for Australia.
Rights and Freedoms
Discrimination in Employment on the Basis of Criminal Record
In recent years the Australian Human Rights Commission has received a significant number of complaints from people alleging discrimination in employment on the basis of criminal record. The complaints indicate that there is a great deal of misunderstanding by both employers and people with criminal...
Rights and Freedoms
Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 60th Anniversary, 2008
Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 th Anniversary, 2008 Find out about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? How did Australia help develop the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in your...
Rights and Freedoms
Climate Change and Human Rights
Governments have traditionally approached climate change as an ecological problem, or more recently, as an economic one. So far, the social and human rights implications of climate change have not been widely recognised. The effects of climate change may threaten a broad range of internationally...
Rights and Freedoms
Rural and Remote Education Inquiry
Rural and Remote Education Inquiry The National Inquiry into Rural and Remote Education was initiated by the Commission in February 1999. The 1998 Bush Talks consultations on the human rights concerns of regional, rural and remote Australians had revealed that access to education of an appropriate...
Rights and Freedoms
Bush Talks: Rural Health
In 1998 and 1999 the Commission (then known as HREOC) visited regional, rural and remote areas in every State and the Northern Territory as part of the Bush Talks consultations.
Rights and Freedoms
Human Rights Briefs (1999 - 2001)
The Human Rights Brief provides legal practitioners, community advocates and others with guidance on the content and scope of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Australia and their use in Australian law. Each number will cover a specific topic.
Rights and Freedoms
Discrimination on the Ground of Trade Union Activity
Report to the Attorney-General on an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (the Commission) into a complaint of discrimination on the ground of trade union activity under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth)(the Act).
Rights and Freedoms
Human Rights and Euthanasia
Euthanasia, or voluntary assisted suicide, has been the subject of much moral, religious, philosophical, legal and human rights debate in Australia. At the core of this debate is how to reconcile competing values: the desire of individuals to choose to die with dignity when suffering, and the need...
Rights and Freedoms
The Human Rights of Rural Australians
Every person in Australia, regardless of who they are or where they live, is entitled to respect for and protection of their human rights. People living in remote, rural and regional Australia often find it harder to fully enjoy their human rights because of their location.
Rights and Freedoms