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Since 2001, the primary method of assessing whether an individual is under the age of 18 years in the context of criminal proceedings in Australia has been through the analysis of an x-ray of the young person’s wrist. As this Inquiry is considering the treatment of young Indonesian males suspected of people smuggling who say that they are children, it is important to consider the…

Pursuant to section 11(1)(f)(ii) of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth), I attach a report of my inquiry into a complaint against the Commonwealth of Australia. I have found that the respondent failed to provide the complainant with a safe place of detention whilst she was detained at the Curtin Immigration Reception and Processing Centre and that such failure…

The Commission's jurisdiction to hear and determine complaints of unlawful discrimination ceased on 13 April 2000 with the commencement of the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Act (No.1) 1999 (Cth) and was transferred to the Federal Court and Federal Magistrates Service. The Commission retained the jurisdiction to complete those public inquiries that had commenced prior to 13 April 2000.

Dr Sev Ozdowski was appointed Human Rights Commissioner in December 2000 for a five year term. He is also the acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner.

The experience of people in rural and remote Australia has always featured prominently in the Commission's work. During the reporting year the Commission undertook two major projects addressing the human rights of children and young people in rural and remote Australia.

From 1835, when the European occupation of Victoria commenced, until the 1880s government policy was one of segregation of Indigenous people on reserves. These were mainly controlled by missions.