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Disability Rights
13 February 2014Opinion pieceHuman rights: everyone, everywhere, everyday
Maria has cerebral palsy and little speech. She wanted to tell police about a sexual assault, but there was no communication support worker to help with the statement. The police relied on Maria's parents to provide communication support. Maria was uncomfortable giving personal details of the assault to police in front of her parents, so her evidence was incomplete. This caused problems for… -
Rights and Freedoms
24 October 2022Media ReleaseHuman Rights Commission calls for urgent action to address fallout from suspension of UN SPT visit
The Australian Human Rights Commission is urging all Australian state and territory governments to fully commit to implementing an important human rights framework for people held in detention settings following the suspension of a tour of Australia by United Nations inspectors. A delegation from the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (UN SPT) has been in Australia since last week… -
14 December 2012Book page
Human Rights Act - Consultation Workshops
back to the Commission's National Human Rights Consultation pages Events: Consultation workshops During the National Consultation, the Commission held a series of practical workshops aimed at helping organisations and individuals make submissions. A full list of the workshops held is contained in the Commission’s submission to the National Consultation. Other events Click here for the… -
Commission – General
14 December 2012WebpageCyberbullying, Human rights and bystanders
Reach Out is an online community for young people that can help with mental health and wellbeing related issues they also provide opportunities for connecting with young people. http://au.reachout.com -
Children's Rights
11 October 2024News storyNT Government urged not to lower age of criminal responsibility
The National Children’s Commissioner and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Commissioner have urged the Northern Territory Government to reverse its plan next week to introduce a new law to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to ten years. -
Technology and Human Rights
24 July 2018Publication
Issues Paper: Human Rights and Technology
Learn more about how your human rights may be impacted by technology in the Commission's Issue Paper. -
28 September 2020Redacted submissions
Redacted : Free and Equal: An Australian Conversation on Human Rights
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Technology and Human Rights
7 February 2018Project
Final Report: Human Rights and Technology
Learn more about the human rights implications of new and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. -
Rights and Freedoms
31 July 2019Speech
Free and Equal: A National Reform Agenda for Human Rights in Australia for the next decade
Commission President Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM addressed the Castan Centre human rights conference on July 26. The topic was ‘Free and Equal’: A National Reform Agenda for Human Rights in Australia for the next decade. Thank you to the Castan Centre, and its Director, Professor Sarah Joseph, for inviting me to speak. Let me begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of… -
Children's Rights
4 October 2019Media Release
UN calls for national action to protect the rights of children and young people in Australia
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… -
Rights and Freedoms
11 October 2016Speech
Peering through human rights-tinted glasses
Annual Lecture, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law. Given at the State Library of Victoria on 7 October 2016. This year, we celebrate (or mourn, according to your perspective) the 60th anniversary of the first computer to defeat a human in chess. It occurred, predictably enough, in Los Alomos, and the human was a novice. Over the next 30 years, the best humans easily saw off the best… -
14 December 2012Book page
Resolving discrimination and human rights issues - Annual Report 2009-2010: Australian Human Rights Commission
Our complaints process provides a way in which individuals and groups can voice and resolve disputes about discrimination and human rights. Our complaint work is also central to our role in protecting and promoting human rights and complements our policy and education work. The number and type of complaints we receive often highlight systemic discrimination problems. We use this information to… -
Children's Rights
19 December 2016Speech
Launch of Children's Rights Report 2016
Introduction Good morning everyone. I want to begin by speaking about an artwork submitted by a young person detained in a youth justice centre. This was sent to me as an entry to an art competition I ran for children and young people in youth justice centres this year. I asked them to show me how they felt, what they wished for and what they needed. Many of the entries can be seen around… -
14 December 2012Book page
Resolving discrimination and human rights issues - Annual Report 2009-2010: Australian Human Rights Commission
We can also investigate complaints about alleged breaches of human rights by the Commonwealth and its agencies, as well as discrimination in employment based on a person’s sexual preference, criminal record, trade union activity, political opinion, religion or social origin. -
Commission – General
1 August 2016Webpage
Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Edward Santow
Mr Edward Santow Former Human Rights Commissioner (2016-2021) Edward Santow was Human Rights Commissioner at the Australian Human Rights Commission from August 2016 to 28 July 2021. Ed leads the Commission’s work on technology and human rights; refugees and migration; human rights issues affecting LGBTI people; counter-terrorism and national security; freedom of expression; and implementing… -
Children's Rights
24 December 2019Video
Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, winner of the 2019 Young People's Human Rights Medal
Receiving her award, Young People’s Human Rights Medal Winner Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts said, “The system does not work for our kids who are incarcerated - my mind and my spirit can't help but think of those young people that aren't here right now. “I ask that every single person assess your privilege and show up on the front line. We need to amplify those voices and we need to raise those… -
Age Discrimination
20 May 2016PublicationEuthanasia, human rights and the law
This issues paper explores voluntary euthanasia by looking at the domestic regulatory environment in comparison to relevant international laws. It concludes with a human rights-based analysis of voluntary euthanasia and some commentary on the practice informed by human rights principles. -
Rights and Freedoms
3 September 2019Media Release
Statement by Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill
“For more than 20 years, the Australian Human Rights Commission has called for reform to prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of religious and other beliefs. “Any reform in this area must protect the human rights of all people in Australia, regardless of their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or any other status. “We will be studying the content of the draft Bill… -
Children's Rights
14 April 2015Speech
Embedding children’s rights into children’s services
YMCA 2015 National Children’s Services Conference Moonee Valley Racing Club, Victoria Saturday 21 March 2015 Introduction Good morning and thank you for the introduction. I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet today, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I’d like to thank YMCA for… -
Disability Rights
30 June 2015Publication
Mental Health Legislation and Human Rights
This paper presents an indicative analysis of the mental health legislation in each State and Territory in terms of recently agreed international standards - the UN Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care. The legislation in every Australian jurisdiction breaches the standards prescribed in the UN Principles in a number of ways…