News

Commission – General

Strengthening Human Rights Education in the National School Curriculum

Read this speech by the Hon Catherine Branson QC on strengthening human rights education in the national school curriculum.

Commission – General

President speech: Launch of Broken Glass, Unbroken Memories

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land upon which we meet, the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation, and pay my respects to their elders, past, present and future.

Commission – General

President speeches: The Potential Role of National Human Rights Institutions in the Pacific

This paper advocates that National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) have a very valuable role to play in the Pacific, and that the promotion and protection of human rights in the Pacific would benefit immensely by Pacific nations each establishing a NHRI.

Commission – General

The role of HREOC in the industrial relations scene: recent developments and future directions

I'll start with what's stayed the same. The fundamental restructuring of Australia's workplace relations system has left the functions of HREOC untouched. In particular there is no change in its responsibilities to investigate and conciliate complaints of unlawful discrimination.

Commission – General

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I was invited to pick my own topic for discussion. As an ex-judge being invited to speak to students of the law, I assumed that I was expected to speak on something related to the administration of the law from a judge's perspective. And as President of Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), I assumed I was expected to mention the role of human rights promotion in our legal system.

Legal

Response to Lord Bingham’s speech: “Do Human Rights Acts Make a Difference?” - David Kinley

Conspicuously active in retirement! Perhaps most notably his Grotius Lecture in London last month in which he raised serious doubts as to the legality under international law of Britain’s invasion of Iraq. This is hardly the path of a man seeking a quiet retirement.

Disability Rights

Speeches and papers

This page provides access to over 200 speeches and papers on disability issues from members (current and past) and senior staff of the Australian Human Rights Commission. All major speeches since 2000 are included, as well as a selection of earlier speeches and papers as far back as 1989.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Let the healing begin

Prime Minister, the Hon Kevin Rudd; Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson; the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the Hon Jenny Macklin; former Prime Ministers, Professor Bruce Wilson representing the late Sir Ronald Wilson, Stolen Generations patrons Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue and Bobby Randall, NSDC Chair Helen Moran and SGA Chair Christine King, Ministers; Members of Parliament; Senators, members of the stolen generations and your families; my Indigenous brothers and sisters; and distinguished guests from around Australia and overseas.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

NSW Teachers Federation Council Meeting (2010)

With respect and gratitude I acknowledge that we sit on the lands of the Gadigal peoples of the Eora Nation, and I thank the Traditional Owners for allowing us to do so.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Native Title Reform - Where should we go from here?

Launch of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s special issue of Reform 93 on ‘Native Title’ and inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan Tranby Aboriginal College, 13 Mansfield street, Glebe NSW

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Indigenous Rights and the debate over a Charter of Rights in Australia

My thanks to the Human Rights Law Resource Centre, in particular to Phil Lynch, for inviting me to address this important gathering of human rights advocates and supporters about what I consider vital for the implementation and promotion of human rights in Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

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I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners, the Gimuy Walubara Yidinji people of the Cairns region on whose land we are meeting today. I also acknowledge and pay respects to all of our elders here today.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

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Before I speak about agreement making on Indigenous lands, let me acknowledge the Larrakia people on whose land we are today. The Larrakia are the neighbours of my people the Kungarakan whose country borders the Larrakia to the south west of Darwin.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

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1. In what follows I have not ventured into the history of proposals for a treaty between the aboriginal peoples of Australia and the Government of Australia. Others here will know this much better than I. Nor do I wish to suggest in detail what such a treaty might contain, if it were possible to bring it about. My purpose is to address the nature of treaties in international law, the possibility of treaties between state and non-state parties, and some contemporary forms of treaty-making in the international arena that might offer some helpful models or analogies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Citizenship

It is the intention of this paper to explore the concept of citizenship, and some associated ideas in order to present a perspective on the relevance of citizenship to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. I will seek to examine some key principles in relation to citizenship which must be established in order to ensure full and just respect for the rights and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.