Asylum Seekers and Refugees
Events on Manus Island have graphically and tragically brought to the attention of the Australian public the inappropriateness of the current arrangements for the regional processing of asylum seekers. I have been troubled by the loss of life and the injury that has occurred on Manus Island over this...
Disability Rights
Sarah - not her real name - studied law at university. Not only did she earn a good law degree, she won the university medal. She also won competitions for mooting- conducting mock trials for those of you smart enough not to have chosen law as your profession. She could not get a job - or even an interview - with the Australian public service because she has a significant disability, including using a wheelchair, and some verbal communication issues.
Rights and Freedoms
As Human Rights Commissioner I want to promote a culture of rights and responsibilities so that every Australian understands their rights and confidently stands up for them against government encroachment. Because human rights are a political construct, there are numerous ways that they can be...
Rights and Freedoms
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...
Children's Rights
Young people seeking asylum – protecting their rights in Australia Practitioners Workshop, ‘Improving Services for Unaccompanied Minors & Young People Seeking Asylum’ CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY 1. Acknowledgments Thank you, Pino, for your introduction. Thank you also to Australian Red Cross for the...
Disability Rights
I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land. I have a dream that my children will grow up in a nation where they are not judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character. Who said these words? Martin Luther King. If I can adapt that quote, I have a dream that my...
Disability Rights
I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land. Thanks for the chance to have this discussion this afternoon. It's a relatively small group so I hope it can be quite informal. We've just seen one of the films from the Australian Human Rights Commission's Twenty Years: Twenty Stories project. I...
Rights and Freedoms
The Sydney Institute Tuesday 26 November 2013 6pm Venue: King & Wood Mallesons, Level 61, Governor Phillip Tower, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney (Check against delivery) I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the Sydney Institute speakers program and to discuss two freedoms- freedom of speech...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Australasian Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Conference, Royal Brisbane and Royal Women’s Education Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Brisbane - Abstract
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Today I would like to extend the way you may view your work and some of the tools available to you. The Tenants Union is part of a long tradition of fighting for housing justice, as I understand, going all the way back to 1910. What I want to add to this robust tradition is a human rights approach.
Children's Rights
Megan Mitchell National Children’s Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission Continuing the conversation: are all the voices being heard Crown Plaza, Hunter Valley Friday 18 October 2013 View slides 1. Acknowledgments Slide 1 Thank you Aunty Marge for your Welcome to Country. I too would like...
Children's Rights
Megan Mitchell National Children’s Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission Grand Rounds Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick Wednesday 9 October 2013 Click to view slides (Powerpoint) [15 MB] Acknowledgments Slide 1 Thank you Aunty Barbara Keeley Simms for your heartfelt and thought provoking...
The Nojin and Prior decisions in the Federal Court, Full Federal Court and High Court late last year and early this are probably the most significant decisions to employees with disability in Australian Disability Enterprises - and to ADE's - since the passage of the Disability Discrimination Act more than twenty years ago.
Children's Rights
Keynote address at the Jesuit Social Services National Justice Symposium Pushing the boundaries: rethinking the limits of children’s involvement in the criminal justice system. CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY 1. Acknowledgments Thank you, Father Frank Brenan, for your kind introduction. I also thank the...
Disability Rights
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 10th Session, Australia - Commissioner Innes, Closing Statement 4th September 2013
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