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Age Discrimination
8 August 2023SpeechBuilding a better cultural inheritance for an ageing Australia
Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO Age Discrimination Commissioner Keynote Address to National Press Club of Australia, Canberra Wednesday, 28 June, 2023 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Welcome Thank you Andrew Tillett (National Press Club Vice President) for your kind introduction. I am sometimes introduced incorrectly, but maybe more accurately, as the Ageing Discrimination Commissioner. I wish to acknowledge… -
Commission – General
12 March 2024SpeechA Revitalised National Human Rights Framework for Australia
Marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Fraser Oration Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM FAAL FRSA FACLM(Hon) Introduction Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Maskell, Dean Matthew Harding, Mrs Tamie Fraser and the Fraser family, Melbourne Law School staff, distinguished guests, friends I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land… -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-18
The complainant identifies as a transgender woman and contacted the respondent insurer for the purposes of obtaining a quote for life insurance. She alleged a staff member of the insurer addressed her as ‘sir’ and told her that she would be assessed for life insurance as a male, despite identifying as female. The insurer explained a staff member initially addressed the complainant as ‘sir’… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
23 October 2019Publication
Use of force in immigration detention
The issue of the use of force in immigration detention has been raised in a range of complaints against the Department of Home Affairs received by the Commission. This report deals thematically with 14 complaints. -
Legal
30 January 2019SubmissionMigration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018
1 Introduction 1. The Commission makes this submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee in relation to the Migration (Validation of Port Appointment) Bill 2018 (Cth) (the Bill) introduced by the Australian Government. 2 Summary 2. The Commission welcomes the opportunity to make a submission in relation to this Bill. 3. The Bill seeks to retrospectively… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
26 July 2019Media Release
Transferring asylum seeker families to Nauru – human rights report
The practice of sending to Nauru families with young children who arrived in Australia seeking asylum is the subject of an inquiry report by the Australian Human Rights Commission tabled in Parliament today. [1] Mr Richard Lancaster SC, as delegate of the President, found that the regional processing centre on Nauru was not an appropriate place to send families with young children… -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-15
The complainant is deaf and uses Auslan to communicate. She said she was offered the use of Auslan interpreters on three occasions when she first started work at the respondent public hospital. However, she said no further Auslan support was provided over the ensuing years, meaning she was often unable to understand what was being said at meetings or training courses, including information… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
20 June 2023Media Release
Inspection report: Serious human rights concerns in hotel detention
Explore an inspection report by the Commission that found serious human rights concerns persist in the use of hotels as alternative places of detention. -
14 January 2021Conciliation register
2019-05-11
The complainant’s two young children use wheelchairs for mobility. She alleged customers using the respondent ticket booking service to book wheelchair accessible seating could not do so online, and must instead use a telephone booking service which was difficult to reach. The booking service acknowledged that the process for booking accessible seating is lengthier than the online process… -
Sex Discrimination
8 February 2023Media ReleaseCommission welcomes parliament’s codes of conduct and improved workplace safety
The codes set standards of conduct for parliamentarians, staffers, and all other employees in parliamentary workplaces. They were endorsed by the Senate this morning and debated in the House, which is expected to also endorse them soon. -
16 March 2022Conciliation register
2020-10-01
The complainant is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. He alleged that the respondent council built a bridge that is not compliant with the relevant disability standard. He claimed pedestrians using wheelchairs were required to cross to roads, whereas pedestrians not using mobility aids were not required to do so. The council claimed the disability standard did not apply to the bridge, but… -
Rights and Freedoms
4 February 2019SpeechRoles, responsibilities and challenges
The Australian Human Rights Commission—roles, responsibilities and challenges Supreme and Federal Court Judges’ Conference 2019 Hobart, 22 January 2019 Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM [Professor Croucher spoke to this paper] Introduction I begin my presentation by acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land, and pay my respect to the elders, past, present, and emerging… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 April 2023Media Release
Commission welcomes banning of spit hoods by AFP
A decision by the Australian Federal Police to end the use of spit hoods has been welcomed by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Today the AFP announced the AFP and ACT police will no longer use spit hoods, and instead the AFP will provide ‘alternative equipment and implement procedures to better protect officers from spitting and biting.’ The decision follows a review initiated last… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 March 2024Speech
Enhancing human rights in a post-COVID world
The catalyst of a pandemic Women in Property lunch Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM Acknowledgement Thank you to the Property Council for inviting me to speak to you today—and particularly Jane Fitzgerald whose idea it was. Let me begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation and pay my respect to Elders, past,… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
27 May 2021SpeechSpeech for Reconciliation Week
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO made this speech at the WA Reconciliation Breakfast on May 29, 2021 Yaningi warangira ngindaji yuwa muwayi ingirranggu, Bunuba yani U. Balangarri wadjirragali jarra ningi gamali ngindaji yau muwayi nyirrami ngarri thangani. Yaningi miya ngindaji Muwayi ingga winyira ngirranggu thangani. Yathawarra, wilalawarra -
Sex Discrimination
20 December 2022Media Release
New workplace sexual harassment resources: Good practice indicators for employers, and guidelines on confidentiality clauses in settlements
The Respect@Work Council has published new guidelines on the use of confidentiality clauses in settling workplace sexual harassment cases, and good practice indicators to assist organisations prevent and respond to workplace sexual harassment. -
Children's Rights
16 September 2020Opinion pieceGreater focus needed on kids during pandemic
Since lockdown restrictions were introduced in March, the national 24/7 counselling and support service Kids Helpline has received a significant increase in the volume of children and young people seeking help, up 24% to the end of August compared to 2019. The concerns they raised in counselling sessions provide important insights into how governments, parents and educators can better… -
Race Discrimination
12 July 2019Project
Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims
The Race Discrimination Commissioner is undertaking a project to listen to and share the stories of Australian Muslims. Specifically, the project aims to build robust intelligence about the experience of Australian Muslims to inform the Australian Human Rights Commission’s work in promoting social cohesion and providing evidence for change. The project is an opportunity to identify community… -
Rights and Freedoms
1 December 2020Video
Balancing Human Rights During COVID19
Protecting public health and protecting human rights are not mutually exclusive choices – but how do we keep the balance between the two? What safeguards do we need to protect rights and freedoms in Australia and prevent the ‘creeping authoritarianism’ we have witnessed elsewhere in the world? These were just some of the big questions of our time discussed by the panellists during the … -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
26 July 2019Publication
Ms BK, Ms CO and Mr DE on behalf of themselves and their families v Commonwealth of Australia (Department of Home Affairs)
The Australian Human Rights Commission has conducted an inquiry into three complaints arising from the practice of the Australian Government of sending to Nauru families with young children who arrived in Australia seeking asylum.