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Complaints

Publications

A circular section filled with handwritten phrases in various colors on blue, expressing youth concerns like “better homes,"
Childrens Rights

'Help Way Earlier!'- transforming child justice for safety & wellbeing

Report artwork copyright Bernard Singleton and Saltwater People 2024. 'Help way earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing investigates opportunities for reform of child justice and related systems across Australia based on children’s rights and sound...

A book cover titled Human Rights for Australia with a surreal illustration of a human face, a cube inside its head, and a rainbow passing through the cube, casting colorful light. The background is a textured blue.
Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights for Australia

A survey of human rights literature and developments and a select bibliography (1986). This publication was prepared for the former Human Rights Commission (1981-86) The former Commission was a distinct statubody body from the Australian Human Rights Commission. It should not be assumed that the...
Cover of a publication titled Human Rights Commission: Human Rights, a Handbook, published by the Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1983. The design features bold black and white sections.
Education

1981-86 Human Rights Commission education resources

Education resources linked from this page were produced by the former Human Rights Commission established under the Human Rights Commission Act 1981. This Commission ceased to exist in 1986 pursuant to a sunset clause in its legislation and was replaced by the current Commission. Resources linked...
Race Discrimination

Guide to the Racial Hatred Act

The Racial Hatred Act, introduced in October 1995, extends the coverage of the RDA so that people can complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission about racially offensive or abusive behaviour. It aims to strike a balance between two valued rights: the right to communicate freely and the right...
Legal

Australian Human Rights Commission - Law Society Journal

Australian Human Rights Commission Legal articlespublished in the NSW Law Society Journal The legal section of the Commission publishes regular articles on human rights law, designed for legal practitioners. These appear in NSW Law Society Journal and other Law Society publications across Australia...
Commission - General

Annual Report 2010-2011

Annual Report 2010–2011 Complete Report Download Complete Annual Report in PDF [7 MB] Download Annual Report in Word [696 KB] Financial statements (Excel) [430 KB] Contents About the Commission Our functions Highlights of the year President’s statement Commissioners’ statements Bios of president and...
Complaint Information Service

ADR as a tool for social change: a discussion (2008)

Human rights and anti-discrimination law in Australia, as in many countries in the Asia Pacific, provides for complaints about discrimination and violations of human rights to be resolved by conciliation. The use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in this context has been criticised. In...
Education

Human rights education in the national school Curriculum

Human rights education in the national school Curriculum: Position Paper of the Australian Human Rights Commission 2 June 2011 Download in Word [366KB] Download in PDF [199KB] Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Background to the national school curriculum 2.1 Who is writing the Curriculum? 2.2 What...
A diverse group of people holding hands in a circle, showing unity and support. The hands vary in skin tones, symbolizing multicultural togetherness against a neutral background.
Education

Understanding human rights - rightsED

Resource: Understanding human rights Human rights are basic to humanity. They apply to all people everywhere. An understanding of human rights is an important part of our individual status as human beings and of our collective status as members of the global community of humankind. To understand how...
Education

Commemorate Human Rights Day - rightsED

Resource: Commemorate Human Rights Day Download complete resource in PDF (740 KB) Download complete resource in Word (340 KB) Resource information Subjects: Civics and Citizenship, Society and Environment (all), Design and Technology, English, Legal Studies, International Studies Level: Year 9 and...
Australia's coat of arms featuring a kangaroo and an emu flanking a shield with symbols for each state, topped by a star. “AUSTRALIA"
Legal

Minister for Immigration and Citizenship v SZQRB [2013] FCAFC 33

Summary: The Full Court of the Federal Court restrained the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship from removing the applicant asylum seeker to Afghanistan until his claims for protection have been assessed according to law. The Court held that the International Treaties Obligations Assessment was...
Rights and Freedoms

Asylum seekers and refugees

back to Immigration detention, Asylum Seekers and Refugees Who are asylum seekers and refugees? What are Australia’s human rights obligations towards asylum seekers and refugees? Are asylum seekers and refugees subject to immigration detention in Australia? What does the Commission do to monitor...

Submissions

Explore submissions made by the Human Rights Commission to numerous departments and committees with the goal of promoting and protecting human rights.

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Media centre

Visit our media centre for up to date contact details for all media enquiries.

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