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Rights Rights and Freedoms

Review of Universal Periodic Review commitments by Australia

What is the UPR and why does it matter | Commitments made at Australia's first UPR appearance | Review of commitments | Comments What is the UPR and why does it matter The Universal Periodic Review is a process undertaken by the United Nations Human Rights Council. It involves review of the human...
Counter-terrorism and human rights
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Counter-terrorism and human rights

Since the events in the United States on 11 September 2001, the Australian Government has introduced more than 40 new counter-terrorism laws. Amongst other things, these laws have created:
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Corporate Social Responsibility

The Australian Human Rights Commission has developed four short fact sheets to help Australian companies meet their responsibility to respect the human rights of those people impacted by their activities.
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Prisoners Rights

Prisoners, just like all other people, are entitled to enjoy their human rights. Prisoners can make complaints to the Commission about human rights breaches and discrimination that occurs in prison.
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Discrimination in Employment on the Basis of Criminal Record

In recent years the Australian Human Rights Commission has received a significant number of complaints from people alleging discrimination in employment on the basis of criminal record. The complaints indicate that there is a great deal of misunderstanding by both employers and people with criminal...
Photo: Cooperation by Amanda Lim - school children sharing a cake
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Universal Declaration of Human Rights - 60th Anniversary, 2008

Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th Anniversary, 2008 Find out about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? How did Australia help develop the Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in your...
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Climate Change and Human Rights

Governments have traditionally approached climate change as an ecological problem, or more recently, as an economic one. So far, the social and human rights implications of climate change have not been widely recognised. The effects of climate change may threaten a broad range of internationally...
'Freedom' - child's artwork from Rural and Remote Education Inquiry
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Rural and Remote Education Inquiry

Rural and Remote Education Inquiry The National Inquiry into Rural and Remote Education was initiated by the Commission in February 1999. The 1998 Bush Talks consultations on the human rights concerns of regional, rural and remote Australians had revealed that access to education of an appropriate...
Jillaroos on Bush Talks
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Bush Talks: Rural Health

In 1998 and 1999 the Commission (then known as HREOC) visited regional, rural and remote areas in every State and the Northern Territory as part of the Bush Talks consultations.
Open Source Human Rights logo
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Human Rights Briefs (1999 - 2001)

The Human Rights Brief provides legal practitioners, community advocates and others with guidance on the content and scope of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Australia and their use in Australian law. Each number will cover a specific topic.
Rights Rights and Freedoms

Discrimination on the Ground of Trade Union Activity

Report to the Attorney-General on an inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (the Commission) into a complaint of discrimination on the ground of trade union activity under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth)(the Act).
terminally ill patient
Rights 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...
Rural human rights
Rights 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.