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Rights and Freedoms
26 June 2025Opinion pieceAustralia’s torture failures must end
In an opinion piece published in The Mandarin, Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay decries Australia’s ongoing failures in torture protection. The piece was published on the 1989 anniversary of Australia signing up to the UN Convention Against Torture. -
Rights and Freedoms
26 February 2025Media Release
Australia must learn from COVID-19 response and prioritise human rights in future emergencies
A major new report about the COVID-19 pandemic by the Australian Human Rights Commission has highlighted how critical gaps in the emergency response could be improved upon in future crises. -
Rights and Freedoms
11 March 2025Video
Commission launches COVID-19 pandemic response report
The Commission has released a major new report about the COVID-19 pandemic, which highlights how critical gaps in the emergency response could be improved upon in future crises. -
Rights and Freedoms
26 February 2025Publication
'Collateral Damage' Report Into Australia's COVID-19 Pandemic Response
This major new report about the COVID-19 pandemic by the Australian Human Rights Commission highlights how critical gaps in the emergency response could be improved upon in future crises. -
Rights and Freedoms
9 April 2020E-bulletin (Monthly)
Community update: COVID-19 (April 2020)
Community Alert Commissioner Update - COVID-19 Dear friends, We are living through an extraordinary challenge for our society and our community—A public health crisis the world has not seen since the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. These remarkable times have seen our governments take unprecedented measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic to save lives. The actions taken by our … -
Rights and Freedoms
4 March 2023Publication
A National Human Rights Act for Australia
Australia is the only liberal democracy in the world that does not have a national act or charter of rights that explains what people’s basic rights are and how they can be protected. -
Rights and Freedoms
4 September 2024Submission
Inquiry into the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Bill 2024 (No. 2)
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomed the opportunity to make this submission to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee in relation to its Inquiry into the National Housing and Homelessness Plan Bill 2024 (No. 2). This Private Members Bill, sponsored by Ms Kylea Tink MP and Senator David Pocock is to be commended for applying a human rights-based approach to housing policy (direct… -
Rights and Freedoms
6 December 2023Publication
Revitalising Australia’s commitment to human rights
This is the final report of the Commission's major, five year Inquiry into Australia's human rights framework. It recommends a National Human Rights Act for Australia and a framework to support it. Download the report, the Executive Summary, and a two-page explainer. -
Rights and Freedoms
22 July 2019Project
Free and Equal Conference
It is time for us to talk about the Australia that we want to live in, and how we want our rights and freedoms protected. There are great opportunities ahead for human rights protection in Australia, but also great challenges. How do we balance competing rights in a complex legal landscape? How do we keep improving protections for vulnerable Australians? How do we find common ground on human… -
Rights and Freedoms
10 December 2021Publication
Free and Equal: A reform agenda for federal discrimination laws (2021)
This Position Paper sets out the Australian Human Rights Commission’s proposals for reforming federal discrimination law in Australia. It forms part of the Commission’s Free and Equal project: A National conversation on human rights.