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Rights and Freedoms

Discrimination in Employment on the Basis of Criminal Record

In recent years the Australian Human Rights Commission has received a significant number of complaints from people alleging discrimination in employment on the basis of criminal record. The complaints indicate that there is a great deal of misunderstanding by both employers and people with criminal...
Photo: Cooperation by Amanda Lim - school children sharing a cake
Rights and Freedoms

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 60th Anniversary, 2008

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60 th Anniversary, 2008 Find out about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? How did Australia help develop the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in your...

What is the Universal Declaration on Human Rights?

back to Universal Declaration of Human Rights Anniversary pages What is the Universal Declaration on Human Rights? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Universal Declaration) is an international document that states the basic rights and fundamental freedoms to which all human beings are...
Rights and Freedoms

Climate Change and Human Rights

Governments have traditionally approached climate change as an ecological problem, or more recently, as an economic one. So far, the social and human rights implications of climate change have not been widely recognised. The effects of climate change may threaten a broad range of internationally...
Logo: Children in Immigration Detention
Children's Rights

National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s (then known as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission) National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention was announced on 28 November 2001. The Inquiry was conducted throughout 2002. It received over 340 submissions and visited all...
'Freedom' - child's artwork from Rural and Remote Education Inquiry
Rights and Freedoms

Rural and Remote Education Inquiry

Rural and Remote Education Inquiry The National Inquiry into Rural and Remote Education was initiated by the Commission in February 1999. The 1998 Bush Talks consultations on the human rights concerns of regional, rural and remote Australians had revealed that access to education of an appropriate...
Open Source Human Rights logo
Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights Briefs (1999 - 2001)

The Human Rights Brief provides legal practitioners, community advocates and others with guidance on the content and scope of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Australia and their use in Australian law. Each number will cover a specific topic.
Rights and Freedoms

Discrimination on the Ground of Trade Union Activity

Report to the Attorney-General on an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (the Commission) into a complaint of discrimination on the ground of trade union activity under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth)(the Act).
terminally ill patient
Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights and Euthanasia

Euthanasia, or voluntary assisted suicide, has been the subject of much moral, religious, philosophical, legal and human rights debate in Australia. At the core of this debate is how to reconcile competing values: the desire of individuals to choose to die with dignity when suffering, and the need...
Rural human rights
Rights and Freedoms

The Human Rights of Rural Australians

Every person in Australia, regardless of who they are or where they live, is entitled to respect for and protection of their human rights. People living in remote, rural and regional Australia often find it harder to fully enjoy their human rights because of their location.
Homeless man sleeping (c) Sonny Harlow
Rights and Freedoms

Housing, homelessness and human rights

People experiencing homelessness face violations of a wide range of human rights. Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights. However, homelessness is not just about housing.