Rights and Freedoms
Striking the right balance on free speech
Discover how a former Human Rights Commissioner was asked whether the Racial Discrimination Act impinges on freedom of expression under international law.
News
Rights and Freedoms
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Indigenous injustice: so much evidence was ignored
I was shocked but not surprised by the ABC’s Four Corners revelations last Monday night. Incontrovertible CCTV evidence of Aboriginal children subject to demeaning, debilitating and dehumanizing behaviour has galvanised the Australian community and prompted the creation of a Royal Commission with an...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Children's rights must come first, says Mick Gooda
The recent death of a 10-year-old in the Kimberley is a tragedy and I pass on my condolences to her family at this particularly distressing time. This tragedy has heightened my conviction that the lives of all of our children in Australia are precious and should be protected at all costs. Nearly 20...
Rights and Freedoms
Another 'aberration' shows that 18C is the problem and must be changed
State and federal governments should reform laws that make offensive acts unlawful and refocus them on protecting free speech and stopping workplace and public harassment. This week a news story broke about a complaint made under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act by a Queensland University...
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
New report reveal alarming impact of detention on children
[Check against delivery] Thank you for joining us today. Over a year ago, the Australian Human Rights Commission produced The Forgotten Children Report. This Report examined the impact of prolonged mandatory, indefinite immigration detention on the mental and physical heath of children. The findings...
Childrens Rights
Domestic violence: $100 million funding raises hope in a week of tragedy
By Professor Gillian Triggs and Commissioner Megan Mitchell. We can no longer tolerate the loss of innocent lives, or allow children to be exposed to such horrific crimes. This week we have seen at least four lives tragically cut short at the hands of a partner or family member. Two of these victims...
Rights and Freedoms
Is freedom under pressure globally?
Behind human rights is the still revolutionary idea that every human being is free and equal, that individuals own their own bodies and should be free to pursue their lives, opportunities and enterprise. Human rights provide the foundation for our liberal democracy, our market economy and our civil...
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Keeping asylum seeker children in detention doesn't stop people smugglers - so why do it?
The former and current ministers for immigration and border security, Chris Bowen and Scott Morrison, agree on one thing: that asylum seeker children are not detained to deter people smuggling. Rather, it appears that patrol boats and naval frigates, commanded by a three star general, and a refusal...
Time to strengthen our lax surrogacy laws
Nationwide regulations are urgently needed to cover situations when Australians are engaging surrogates to have children for them. The range of assisted reproductive technologies available today presents many legal, moral and ethical challenges. These are challenges we can no longer ignore and...
Rights and Freedoms
Freedoms versus anti-discrimination laws? A false debate
Responsibility, anti-discrimination laws, human rights and freedoms - these words have been at the center of an ideological debate about how to protect fundamental freedoms, including freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom from detention without trial. But if we are serious about...
Commission - General
President Speech: Mandatory immigration detention of children in Australia: how far have we come and where to from here? (2010)
I knew Brad well and admired him a great deal. We met when he joined the Crown Solicitor’s Office and we worked closely together in that office for a number of years. He was appointed Crown Solicitor of South Australia when I left that position to practice at the private Bar. He was subsequently appointed Solicitor-General of South Australia, the office from which, I believe, he made his greatest contribution to Australian public law.
Rights and Freedoms
Stand on your rights, or see them trampled (2009)
Australia is a great country to live in — for most of us most of the time. We don’t suffer the terrible poverty witnessed in some parts of the world, our judicial system works well by international standards and most of us can vote in elections by secret ballot. Most of us can live pretty safely, say what we like most of the time and, if we are so inclined, practise our faith in peace. Most of us have access to decent education and health services.
Rights and Freedoms
Victorian Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby: Graeme Innes AM (2007)
I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight. It's almost 18 months since we launched the Same-Sex: Same Entitlements National Inquiry. In that time, we have travelled around Australia to hear, first hand, about the impact of discriminatory laws on same-sex couples, and their children. We received 680 written submissions from across Australia and met with more than 500 people. The Inquiry put federal laws under the human rights microscope.
Being a young person can be tough. Sometimes it can feel like you don’t have a say about things that affect you. But you do! Having a say is one of your rights. Understanding your rights will give you the power to stand up for yourself and the people around you. So, let’s break down what children’s rights are.
My rights as a young person
What is a right?
Human rights are special protections that help us live a happy, healthy life. Human rights protect the things that we should all have—like clean water and safety. Your rights should always be respected and never taken away from you.
Universal and equal rights
Human rights are universal and equal. Which means:
- Everyone has human rights, simply because they are human—no matter who they are, how they identify, or what language they speak, or if they have a disability.
- No right is more important than another—all rights are important and should be treated with the same respect.
Did you know there are 42 rights just for children?
Children have special rights to meet their special needs. They are written down in an agreement made by world leaders in 1989—the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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