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The Australian Human Rights Commission calls on the Australian Government to make urgent changes to improve protections for approximately 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers living in the Australian community. A new report released today, Lives on hold: Refugees and asylum seekers in the ‘Legacy Caseload’, reveals the human rights situation for approximately 30,000 refugees and asylum seekers…

The Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan will today announce a series of national consultations with the Muslim community in Australia about their experiences of hate speech and violence and about their ideas for change. Commissioner Tan will make the announcement at a Harmony Day Event in Sydney. “In the aftermath of the horrific attacks in Christchurch, I want to hear the voices of…

The Honourable Justice Peter McClellan AM and Chrissie Foster have won the prestigious 2018 Human Rights Medal for their enormous contribution to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Chrissie Foster has long campaigned for justice for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse and Justice McClellan led the five-year Royal Commission. Accepting the Medal…

The five finalists for the 2018 Human Rights Awards’ Law Award have been selected, with two from Western Australia competing for the prize. “We have received the highest number of entries for the Law Award since the Human Rights Awards the awards began in 1987,” said Commission President, Professor Rosalind Croucher. Accessing legal services remains a major hurdle for disadvantaged…

The President of the Australian Human Rights Commission Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM will today announce plans for a National Summit on Human Rights. Professor Croucher will announce the National Summit at the 2018 Human Rights Awards at Sydney’s Westin Hotel. “The National Summit, to be held mid-2019, will promote awareness of the importance of human rights in 21st century…

The Australian Human Rights Commission today welcomes the Prime Minister’s National Apology to Victims and Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, which will take place this morning at Parliament House in Canberra. The National Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell said it’s an incredibly significant and historic moment in time. “I applaud the Prime Minister in taking this…

The Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO is calling for submissions from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls and key organisations for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project. As part of the project, Commissioner Oscar and her team have so far visited more than 40 communities and have heard from more than 1800 women and girls across the country in urban,…

Statement from Alastair McEwin, Disability Discrimination Commissioner I support the motion to hold a Royal Commission into the violence, abuse and neglect of people with disability. I call upon the Government to act immediately on this motion by proceeding to establish the Royal Commission without further delay. The prevalence and pervasiveness of violence, abuse and neglect against people…

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has welcomed the announcement of new funding for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project. The Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion today announced $1.7 million to support the second stage of the project, as part of the Fourth Action Plan of the National Plan to Reduce Violence…

Four finalists have been selected from a diverse range of nominations for the 2018 Human Rights Awards’ Government Award. This year marks the first time our Awards recognise Government as a stand-alone category. “There are many Government groups and individuals helping others overcome discrimination and isolation and building tolerance and respect in the community and further afield,” said …

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is calling on Australia to prioritise raising the age of criminal responsibility as part of its Concluding Observations on Australia's performance in protecting the country's children and young people. This comes at a time when there is a strong push around the country to improve our responses to juvenile offending and do more to divert children…

A former Socceroo, a disability rights activist, the author of best-seller Dark Emu, a leading business consultant, and a campaigning lawyer from Queensland are waiting to hear if they will be awarded the prestigious Human Rights Award medal on Friday. The winners in all nine categories of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s annual Human Rights Awards will be announced today at a…

The Close the Gap Campaign has welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to address the inequality that continues to exist in life expectancy and other outcomes. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison has tabled the Government’s Closing the Gap Report and restated the government’s commitment to work collaboratively…

A new survey on attitudes to employing older workers has found that up to 30 per cent of Australian employers are still reluctant to hire workers over a certain age, and for more than two thirds of this group, that age was over 50. The survey of more than 900 human resource professionals was conducted by the Australian HR Institute supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission. It…

Leading disability rights activist Rosemary Kayess has won the prestigious 2019 Human Rights Medal in recognition of her work in international human rights law for people with disability. Ms Kayess, a tireless advocate for equal rights for people with disability in Australia and worldwide, contributed to drafting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and

Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow warns significant threats to human rights remain despite some improvements to Australia’s encryption law. “Police and security agencies must be equipped with robust powers to protect our national security. However, these powers need independent oversight, to ensure any impact on our human rights is proportionate to the relevant risks,” said…

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has launched the Hear Us, See Us exhibition at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The exhibition includes photos and videos of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls who took part in national consultations for the Wiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) project

The Close the Gap Campaign has welcomed the COAG agreement to work in genuine partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the Refreshed Closing the Gap Strategy. COAG has recognised that in order to effect real change, governments must work collaboratively and in genuine, formal partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as they are the essential…

Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Ben Gauntlett will join the management committee of Play by the Rules, the national program to make grass roots sports safe, fair and inclusive. Dr Gauntlett joins his Australian Human Rights Commission colleague, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins (co-chair), and South Australia’s Equal Opportunity Commissioner Dr Niki Vincent representing…

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan and Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow have commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attack. In a joint statement, they said: “The Christchurch massacre was deeply traumatic for New Zealand’s Muslim community. That trauma has echoed throughout the Muslim community in Australia and internationally.” “One year…