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All media releases

Speeches, statements, articles and opinion pieces by President Hugh de Kretser.

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All media releases

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‘Left Alone’: A Review of Solitary Confinement and Similar Practices in Australia’s Youth Justice Systems

Children and youth rights,Immigration and detention
Review
18 December 2025
Hands of women desperate to catch the iron prison,prisoner concept,thailand people,Hope to be free,If the violate the law would be arrested and jailed.

Commission condemns terrorist attack on Jewish community

Race discrimination
Media Release
5 January 2026

Australia’s 2025 human rights champions spotlight equality and justice

Rights and Freedoms
Media Release
12 December 2025
Five people pose with trophies in front of a screen reading 2025 Australian Human Rights Awards. Three people stand at the back; two sit at the front. All are smiling and dressed formally for the event.

Commission calls for urgent action to respond to Cleveland Dodd inquest findings

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Media Release
9 December 2025

Your leadership matters – keep your workers safe this holiday season

Employment and workplace
Media Release
4 December 2025

New report links ageism to serious healthcare harms

Older people’s rights
Media Release
20 November 2025
Older men smiling and chatting

New National Children’s Commissioner commences term

Children and youth rights
Media Release
18 November 2025

Urgent action on climate change essential for human rights

Rights and Freedoms
Media Release
6 November 2025
CANBERRA ACT, AUSTRALIA -February 6th 2020: Backburning on the hills around Tidbinbilla ACT as seen from the South Canberra Suburbs of Conder

Race Discrimination Commissioner says Islamophobia must be confronted with urgency and unity

Race discrimination
Media Release
17 November 2025
People at a market. 2 of the people wearing a head scarf

Cutting edge report calls for urgent action on neurotechnology and human rights

Rights and Freedoms
Media Release
17 November 2025
Image of front cover of neurotechnology report

Call for national inquiry into racism in Australian workplaces

Race discrimination
Media Release
5 November 2025
Roundtable featuring Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman

Race Commissioner says anti-migration rhetoric distracts from real causes of inequality

Race discrimination
Media Release
9 April 2026
People gather along a busy waterfront promenade on a sunny day, with shops, restaurants, and modern buildings in the background. Some sit on benches, while others stand and walk, enjoying the lively urban atmosphere.

Human Rights Commissioner concerned about proposed changes to Migration Act

Rights and Freedoms,Asylum seekers and refugees,Business and Human Rights
Media Release
17 November 2025
Silhouetted travellers walk inside an airport terminal as passengers board a parked aeroplane outside, visible through large windows, with blue and white gate signs labelled 6R in the foreground.

New report reveals racism in healthcare is costing lives

Race discrimination,Employment and workplace
Media Release
17 November 2025
Cover image for a report titled Health Inequalities in Australia showing an illustrated healthcare worker supporting an elderly person with a walking frame, against a blue background, with logos of UTS and the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Feedback rolls in as tens of thousands have their say about Racism@Uni

Race discrimination
Media Release
17 November 2025
Racism at Uni. Have your say

Aboriginal leaders unite to push for real change on rights and justice

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
Media Release
17 November 2025
Two bronze statues of children sit on steps painted with the Aboriginal flag colours, facing the Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on a sunny day with a blue sky.

The hard truth about our country's views about migrants

Race discrimination
17 November 2025
A crowd of people at a protest, with one person holding a sign that says WE ARE STILL HERE above an Aboriginal flag. Green trees and a building are visible in the background.

Commission welcomes new National Children’s Commissioner

Children and youth rights,Human rights,Commissioners
Media Release
17 November 2025
National Children's Commissioner, Deb Tsorbaris

Finalists announced for 2025 Australian Human Rights Awards

Human rights
Media Release
17 November 2025
2025 Australian Human Rights Awards text with a stylized blue bird graphic featuring intricate patterns on a dark blue background.

New report calls for needs of children to be prioritised in out-of-home care system

Children and youth rights
Media Release
17 November 2025
Illustration of a tree with labelled branches and roots, symbolising growth and support for children. Roots include words like safety and stability; branches include achievement, agency, and finding who you want to be.

Human Rights Commissioner calls for transparency in Nauru deportation arrangement 

Asylum seekers and refugees,Business and Human Rights,Legislation
Media Release
10 April 2026
A hand with a ring on one finger grasps a metal chain-link fence, with an out-of-focus building in the background and a cloudy sky, creating a sense of separation or confinement.

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