Disability Rights: Human rights and mental illness
Explore human rights protections for people with mental illness and resources addressing mental health and disability discrimination under Australian law.
Summary
Human rights and mental illness
This page provides links to materials related to and following from the Australian Human Rights Commission's National Inquiry on the Human Rights of People with a Mental Illness, which reported in 1993, and more activity including recent consultations conducted in conjunction with the Mental Health Council of Australia and the Brain and Mind Research Institute.
Page last updated: 16 May 2012
Human rights and mental illness
This page provides links to materials related to and following from the Australian Human Rights Commission's National Inquiry on the Human Rights of People with a Mental Illness, which reported in 1993, and more activity including recent consultations conducted in conjunction with the Mental Health Council of Australia and the Brain and Mind Research Institute.
Page last updated: 16 May 2012
Mental Health Commissions
- National Mental Health Commission
- Western Australia Mental Health Commission
- See also news on establishment of The Mental Health Commission of New South Wales
Not For Service
Report of consultations by the Mental Health Council of Australia and Brain and Mind Research Institute in association with the Commission : October 2005
- Council of Australian Governments commitments on mental health : see Commission media release
- Senate Committee report on mental health, 2006
1993 National Inquiry report
Also available:
- the findings and recommendations chapters of the Commission report (HTML format, includes general and legal recommendations and findings chapters)
- or General findings and recommendations in MS Word format and findings and recommendations on legislation (MS Word format) .
- notes from launch of the inquiry report.
Mental Health Legislation and Human Rights (RTF zipped) : background paper
Other recent Commission activity
Senate inquiry
Speeches
- 3rd National Conference on Human Rights and Mental Health Thursday 8 September, Parliament House Canberra Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner
- Mental Health and Human Rights; the state of play in 2005 Comprehensive Area Psychiatrists Special Interest Group, Rozelle
Hospital, 17 May 2005 Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner - Mental Health Reform in South Australia Press Conference convened by Australian Nurses Federation 19 October 2004 Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner
- Australian Human Rights - Inside And Outside The Wire Address to the National Press Club, Canberra, 25 August 2004 Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Australian Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner .
- Speech to Mental Health Council of Australia Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Sydney, 17 June 2004
- National Mental Health Strategy - Future Challenges Meeting Broader Community Need Keynote address delivered by the the Hon John von Doussa QC, President, Commission Mental Health Foundation of Australia Annual Conference, University of Melbourne, 27th November 2003.
- The Human Rights of Mentally Ill People:the Commission inquiry and after Mental Health, Criminal Justice and Corrections conference, Marrickville, 19 October 2001 Dr Sev Ozdowski O.A.M., Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner
- World Mental Health Day address Chris Sidoti, Human Rights Commissioner and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner Australian Psychiatric Disability Coalition National Forum Canberra, October 10 1998
- Human Rights and Mental Illness Speech by Chris Sidoti, Human Rights Commissioner "Mental Health for All: What's the Vision?" A National Conference on Mental Health Services, Policy and Law Reform into the Twenty First Century, Newcastle, 13-14 February 1997
Other Commission papers
Living Wills discussion Paper and public submissions on "living wills" or advance directives in the mental health area.
Other resources
- U.N. Mental Illness Principles
- Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing mental health portal
- South Australia Department of Health mental health publications
- Mental Health Council of Australia
- The Australian & New Zealand Mental Health Association
- Mental Health Rights Manual Online: NSW Mental Health Coordinating Council
