HREOC Report No. 6
Discrimination
on the ground of sexual preference: Report of Inquiry into Complaints
of Discrimination in Employment and Occupation
HREOC Report No. 6
Human Rights Commissioner's Report No.6 (April 1998) deals with a complaint concerning the refusal of an application by the complainant for classification as a teacher in Catholic schools. The principal reason for the refusal advanced by the respondent was the complainant’s high profile in an organisation of gay and lesbian teachers and students and her public statements on these issues.
The Human Rights Commissioner found that the acts complained of amounted to discrimination on the ground of sexual preference within the terms of the Act. The report noted that the current state of federal law in relation to discrimination based on sexual preference was inadequate to ensure protection of human rights.
The Human Rights Commissioner recommended the enactment of a comprehensive national law to prohibit discrimination including that based on sexual preference and to provide enforceable remedies similar to those available under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
