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Rights and Freedoms
28 June 2020Media ReleaseImplementing OPCAT in Australia released
The Commission has today released recommendations for how Australia should implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT). Implementing OPCAT in Australia is the final step in the Commission’s consultation process with civil society, inspectorate and monitoring bodies, and a number of state and territory… -
Education24 October 2018Teachers Article
Magna Carta: The Story of Our Freedom
Discover a series of online educational resources that explore the impact the Magna Carta has had on our human rights and freedoms in Australia. -
Race Discrimination
27 September 2019Media ReleaseSubmission on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill
The Australian Human Rights Commission supports reform to improve protections against religious discrimination for all people in Australia. While supporting much of the draft Religious Discrimination Bill, the Commission urges that the Bill be amended to avoid limiting other human rights and overriding existing anti-discrimination laws. “The Commission has advocated for more than 20 years… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
29 March 2022PublicationThe detention of refugees following visa refusal or cancellation under section 501 of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth) (2022)
Report into arbitrary detention. -
Rights and Freedoms
18 March 2022Opinion piece
What is happening in Ukraine should matter to every Australian
OPINION There is almost 13,000km between Australia and Ukraine. It is literally on the other side of the world. Given the vast distances that separate us, it would be easy to claim that what happens there has nothing to do with us. That Australia should focus instead on the many challenges we face at home and leave the rest of the world to deal with their own problems. That would be a grave … -
Rights and Freedoms
27 April 2020Media Release
Commission welcomes COVIDSafe App
The Australian Human Rights Commission has welcomed the COVIDSafe App as an important public health initiative, which can help protect the rights of Australians to health and life. The App also opens the possibility of easing restrictions on other human rights, such as freedom of movement and freedom of association. Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow said, “The Commission welcomes the… -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2011: Chapter 4: Options for addressing lateral violence in native title
This Chapter considers options for addressing lateral violence in environments that concern our lands, territories and resources. Although this is the beginning of the conversation, the Chapter aims to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities some ideas about how to address lateral violence through the establishment of strong structural foundations and principles. It… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
8 May 2019Media ReleaseWiyi Yani U Thangani (Women’s Voices) funding announcement welcomed
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… -
Disability Rights
5 May 2019VideoCarly Findlay gives the 2019 Matt Laffan Memorial Address
In March 2009, Sydney Law School alumnus Matt Laffan passed away after he fought and lost the biggest battle of his colourful and active life. On 27 February 2019, Carly Findlay, writer and appearance activist, will deliver a memorial address to celebrate the significant impact Matt made in his short life. The 2019 address is jointly co-hosted by Sydney Law School and the Australian Human… -
Rights and Freedoms
31 January 2020Media Release
Commission warns on Religious Discrimination Bill overreach
In its submission on the latest draft of the Religious Discrimination Bill, the Australian Human Rights Commission warns that elements of the Bill are inconsistent with international human rights law. The Commission is particularly concerned that exemptions for ‘statements of belief’ in the Bill would override existing federal, state and territory discrimination laws on grounds such as race,… -
Age Discrimination
1 March 2021Media ReleaseStatement on the Aged Care Royal Commission report
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the publication of the final report of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety. Following the findings and recommendations in the report, released today, the Commission would like to see the human rights of older people embedded in the planning, provision and monitoring of aged care services in Australia. “Older people have the… -
Business and Human Rights
23 February 2021Project
Supporting business to combat modern slavery
The Commission and KPMG Australia are collaborating on the development of a range of practical, sector-specific guides to support businesses to understand and manage their modern slavery risks approach and to respond effectively to the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth). -
Technology and Human Rights
16 December 2019Media ReleaseCommission calls for ethical AI
Learn more about how Australians need ethical AI which is designed and deployed to protect human rights. -
Rights and Freedoms
13 December 2019Media Release
Rosemary Kayess wins 2019 Human Rights Medal
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 -
Sex Discrimination
17 October 2022Media ReleaseNational plan to end gender-based violence must be fully resourced to achieve results
Explore a plan to end gender-based violence and how for this to succeed, all governments need to make investments in prevention and recovery strategies. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
26 September 2018Teachers Article
Bringing Them Home (2017)
Complementing the 1997 report this resource helps students understand the forced removal of Indigenous people in Australian history. It addresses the effects of separating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, communities, and Country. -
Sex Discrimination
8 April 2021Media Release
Commission welcomes response to Respect@Work Report
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the considered and constructive response to the 55 recommendations made in its 2020 Respect@Work Report on the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces. The Report and the Federal Government’s response, with whole of community buy in, paves the way for globally ground-breaking reform on workplace sexual harassment. “The… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
25 June 2019Media Release
Hear Us, See Us exhibition launched at UN Human Rights Council
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 -
Education16 May 2019Publication
RightsApp
Developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission and LexisNexis®, RightsApp is the world’s first mobile application that allows users to quickly and easily search international human rights conventions and declarations by topic and right. -
Race Discrimination
13 February 2019Media Release
Reconciliation Australia Barometer shows steady progress, but still work to do
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO and the Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan have welcomed today’s release of the Reconciliation Barometer. The survey conducted every two years since 2008, measures the progress of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and non-Indigenous Australians. Among the key findings;…