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Note: This overview is based primarily on the Bringing them home report and provides a background to the policies and practices that authorised the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. It is not intended to be used as a comprehensive historical document.

Indigenous young people with cognitive disabilities and/ or mental health issues in contact with the juvenile justice system get very little attention in literature, in policy and arguably in practice as well. We have seen that this is a forgotten group of young people who are frequently labelled as ‘complex’ (code for too hard to work with) and often receive inadequate or…

A recent decision of the full Federal Court in Bropho v State of Western Australia[1] has created the opportunity to reconsider the operation of s 10 of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). Section 10(1) of the RDA is unique in discrimination law around the country. It is concerned with the operation and effect of laws rather than with making the actions of individuals unlawful.

My grandmother, Rebecca, was born around 1890. She lived with her tribal people, parents and relations around the Kempsey area. Rebecca was the youngest of a big family. One day some religious people came, they thought she was a pretty little girl. She was a full blood aborigine about five years old. Anyway those people took her to live with them.

When I accessed my file, I found out that the police and the station people at B... Station felt that my mother was looking after me. And they were unsure of why I was being taken away. They actually asked if I could stay there. But because I was light-skinned with a white father, their policy was that I had to be taken away. I was then the third child in a family of, as it turned out to be, 13…

1. The Committee considered the tenth, eleventh and twelfth periodic reports of Australia, submitted as one document (CERD/C/335/Add.2), at its 1393rd, 1394th and 1395th meetings (CERD/C/SR.1393, 1394 and 1395), held on 21 and 22 March 2000. At its 1398th meeting, held on 24 March 2000, it adopted the following concluding observations.

1. The Committee examined the third and fourth periodic reports of Australia (CCPR/C/AUS/99/3 and 4) at its 1855th, 1857th and 1858th meetings, held on 20 and 21 July 2000. At its 1867th meeting on 28 July 2000, the Committee adopted the following concluding observations.

back to 2011 Immigration detention at Villawood Photos - 2011 Immigration detention at Villawood The Australian Human Rights Commission visited Villawood Immigration Detention Centre and Sydney Immigration Residential Housing in February 2011. Photos taken during the Commission’s visit are set out below. Key observations and concerns arising from the Commission’s visit are contained in the…

It is highly likely that, as a manager, you will supervise a worker with mental illness at some point in your career – whether you know it or not.

The Guardianship Tribunal has authority under the Guardianship Act 1987 (NSW) to appoint substitute decision-makers for adults with disabilities who are unable to make their own decisions. The Tribunal also has functions as a substitute decision-maker for medical and dental treatment proposed for adults unable to give a valid consent to their own treatment.

The complainant is employed to undertake packing duties with the respondent retail food company. The complainant alleged she was sexually harassed by her manager. She claimed the manager’s behaviour included sending her inappropriate text messages, sending her a pornographic video and making comments of a sexual nature.

The Commission plays a significant role in monitoring legislation and policy in Australia to assess compliance with human rights principles. This monitoring role includes:

The Hon. Catherine Branson was appointed President of the Australian Human Rights Commission on 7 August 2008 and commenced her five year term on 14 October 2008. On 12 July 2009 she additionally became the Human Rights Commissioner.

As a part of the government’s commitments under the Australian Human Rights Framework, there have been extensive consultations to discuss how the current anti-discrimination legislation can be consolidated into one piece of legislation.

This report makes disturbing reading. It documents numerous breaches by Australia of both the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. As a nation that is understandably anxious that the rights of our own children should be respected when they come into contact with the authorities of other countries, it is troubling that between late…

Between late 2008 and late 2011, 180 young Indonesians who said that they were children arrived in Australia having worked as crew on boats bringing asylum seekers to Australia.

Media Pack Homepage Statements by Dr Sev Ozdowski, Human Rights Commissioner (Audio Files for Download) Inquiry Commissioner and Assistants Biographies About the Inquiry Inquiry Methodology Terms of Reference Useful Links and Resources

Since the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) came into force in March 1993 complaints to the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) have shown significant inconsistencies between anti-discrimination law and current building law in Australia .

During 2005, the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General, and the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, made statements to the effect that the Australian Government was interested in supporting Indigenous Australians to explore opportunities to lease or buy communal lands for private or personal use. The government's premise was that if Indigenous people were encouraged…

We work to find practical and long-term solutions to the human rights issues facing people in Australia, as well as to build greater understanding and respect for human rights in our community.