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Complaints

Projects

A wooden boardwalk stretches through tall grass and trees, leading toward a bright sunset on the horizon. Sunlight shines through the branches, casting long shadows across the path.
Rights and Freedoms

Freedom of Religion

For over 20 years now, the Commission has advocated for more comprehensive legal protection in Australia for freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
A person stands waist-deep in clear, shallow water, holding two long fishing spears and facing away from the camera, wearing a light-colored skirt or wrap.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Native Title

Native title is a property right which reflects a relationship to land which is the very foundation of Indigenous religion, culture and well-being. The non-discriminatory protection of native title is a recognised human right.
A man in a dark suit and tie stands at a podium, smiling, with a purple backdrop displaying National Press Club of Australia in repeated text. Two microphones are visible in front of him.
Rights and Freedoms

Religious Freedom Roundtable

In 2014, former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson MP conducted a national consultation on rights and responsibilities. The outcomes from this consultation are outlined in the Rights and Responsibilities Consultation Report 2015. The importance of, and threats to, religious freedom was...
Illustrated banner reads The Story of Our Freedom, by the Australian Human Rights Commission. Cartoon characters on both sides depict justice, protest, and historical scenes. Two buttons say Read the Story and Watch the Video.
Rights and Freedoms

Magna Carta: The Story of Our Freedom

To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, the Australian Human Rights Commission has created a series of online educational resources which explore the evolution of human rights since 1215 and the impact that Magna Carta has had on our human rights and freedoms in Australia. The digital...
Text graphic with the words rights & responsibilities 2014 in modern, black and blue font. A thin line extends from the word responsibilities underlining the year 2014.
Rights and Freedoms

Rights & Responsibilities 2014

In 2014, former Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson MP conducted a national consultation about how well Australia protects people's rights and freedoms.
An illustration shows the text, Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution, above an image of a yellow envelope with a person symbol inside.

Immigration detention, asylum seekers and refugees

The Commission seeks to ensure that the human rights of all people held in immigration detention in Australia are protected. The Commission has focused its recent immigration detention work on the conditions and treatment of asylum seekers, refugees and children, because they have specific...
Illustration of raised hands, a flying dove with an olive branch, and the quote All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Additional text about acting in a spirit of brotherhood appears below.
Rights and Freedoms

Rights and freedoms - right by right

As part of the development of our new website we are developing pages on human rights scrutiny by reference to each area of rights and obligations set out in the main human rights treaties which have been developed by the international community and adopted by Australia in the years since the...
Close-up of a childs hands gently holding the hands of an elderly person resting on a pink blanket, conveying care, support, and compassion.
Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights and Euthanasia

Euthanasia, or voluntary assisted suicide, has been the subject of much moral, religious, philosophical, legal and human rights debate in Australia. At the core of this debate is how to reconcile competing values: the desire of individuals to choose to die with dignity when suffering, and the need...
A colorful mural shows a mix of abstract and natural elements, birds, animals, and symbolic figures. The words “we learn and grow together"
Rights and Freedoms

The Human Rights of Rural Australians

Every person in Australia, regardless of who they are or where they live, is entitled to respect for and protection of their human rights. People living in remote, rural and regional Australia often find it harder to fully enjoy their human rights because of their location.
A person lies on the ground at night near a building, wearing a patterned jacket. The scene is dimly lit and somber, with scattered debris on the pavement. (c) Sonny Harlow.
Rights and Freedoms

Housing, homelessness and human rights

People experiencing homelessness face violations of a wide range of human rights. Access to safe and secure housing is one of the most basic human rights. However, homelessness is not just about housing.