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State and federal anti-discrimination & human rights law in Australia, as in many other countries2, provides for the resolution of complaints of discrimination and breaches of human rights by a process of conciliation. Conciliation is an alternative dispute resolution mechanism for parties to complaints in that it is an 'alternative' to more formal determination of the dispute by a court or…

This is an important report. It deals with our treatment of children in the most recent wave of boat people seeking refuge and a better life on our shores. It does so in the knowledge that there is a tension created by the community expectation that the Government will defend Australia's security while simultaneously upholding individual rights - the notion of the 'fairgo' for all. The report…

This paper looks specifically at the issue of sexual harassment in employment and approaches to resolving associated complaints that are brought before the Australian Human Rights Commission ("AHRC").

It is now just over one year since I took up my appointment as President of the Commission. During this time, the world's attention has been focussed on the international terrorist threat and how governments, including our own, can contain and counter that threat. In Australia, the Commission has been mindful of the fact that any counter-terrorism measures must be enacted and administered in…

Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 The Migration Amendment (Maintaining the Good Order of Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2015 (the Bill) would give increased power to ‘authorised officers’ to use force against people (including asylum seekers) in immigration detention facilities. It appears that the majority (if not all) of…

Climate change will have significant impacts in both Australia and across the globe. Australia is one of the most arid continents in the world. It is vulnerable to risks such as disruptions to water supply; increases in the severity of storms, floods and droughts, coastal erosion due to sea level rise; and to negative human health impacts, for example through an increase in the range and spread…

Contents 1. Homelessness is about human rights 2. What is homelessness? 3. What are some of the causes of homelessness? 4. How many people are affected by homelessness? 5. Who is affected by homelessness? 5.1 Indigenous people are disproportionately affected by homelessness 5.2 Women are significantly affected by homelessness 5.3 Children and young people are disproportionately affected by …

NOTE: This paper was updated in 2013- click here for the updated version. Contents Introduction Summary Background What are Australia’s international obligations to asylum seekers who are subject to transfer to third countries? What are the Commission’s key concerns about the third-country processing arrangements? Introduction In September 2012, the Australian Government commenced…