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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...

Category, Opinion

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...

Category, Opinion
Rights and Freedoms

Free speech is best medicine for the bigotry disease

THE proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act provide the basis for correcting the legal limits of free speech, ­promoting pluralism, opposing reprehensible racism and highlighting the importance of ­responsibility. Arguably the most important change is assessing an 18C violation based on...

Category, Opinion
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...

Category, Opinion
Asylum Seekers and Refugees

Australia, Human Rights, Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Australia, Human Rights, Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A comment on the current human rights issues faced by Australia in the processing of refugees and asylum seekers By Gillian Triggs, published in Issue 3 2013, Volume 2 of the International Advocate It is clear that Australia is currently facing...

Category, Opinion
Rights and Freedoms

Freedom of Speech and giving offence: can a balance be struck?

Annual Kirby Lecture on International law: ANZSIL 2013 Thursday 4 July 20136:30 pm Finkel Theatre, John Curtin School of Medical Research,Garran Rd, Australian National University (Check against delivery) Freedom of Speech and giving offence: can a balance be struck? I was especially pleased to be...

Category, Speech
Sex Discrimination

The face of gender-based discrimination in Australian workplaces

UN Women 2013 International Women’s Day Panel: Implicit stereotypes, explicit solutions: overcoming gender-based discrimination in the workplace Conference Room 2, North Lawn Building, UN 1.15 – 2.30pm, Friday 8 March ** CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY** The different faces of gender discrimination in...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Freedom of speech is not in danger in Australia (2013)

Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race.

Category, Opinion
Disability Rights

"Other status": disability and human rights (2011)

Amnesty International conference: Human rights challenges and opportunities in the 21st century Brisbane 6 October 2011 Graeme Innes, Disability Discrimination Commissioner

Category, Speech
Commission - General

University of Western Sydney – Graduation Address (2011)

Chancellor, Professor Peter Shergold AC, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and Development, Professor John Ingleson, academic staff, senior University management, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, and importantly, graduands.

Category, Speech
Sex Discrimination

Commissioner appears before CEDAW Committee at the UN

Tuesday, 20 July 2010 The Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, has appeared before the United Nations Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in New York this week. Enshrined within the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of...

Category, News

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