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Asylum Seekers and Refugees
19 April 2024News story
Inspection report: “serious concerns” at Yongah Hill Detention Centre
An inspection report by the Australian Human Rights Commission has found that a high-security immigration detention centre in Western Australia was, in part, “no longer fit for purpose”, and raised serious concerns over safety conditions and the level of care for detainees and staff. The Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre Inspection Report followed a two-day inspection of the adult… -
LGBTIQ+
30 August 2024Media ReleaseCommissioner welcomes Government’s decision to include LGBTQIA+ Australians in next Census
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Anna Cody has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to commit to including LGBTQIA+ Australians in the 2026 Census. -
Disability Rights
6 March 2024SpeechGood Access is Good Business
City of Sydney Business Breakfast Keynote Address City of Sydney Council Keynote Address for President and Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner Rosalind Croucher Time: Session commences at 7:45am. Session concludes at 10am. Speakers to arrive at 7:30am. Location: Town Hall, Sydney Speaking time: 8:30am – 8:50am for twenty minutes Topic: The business case for access and inclusion… -
Rights and Freedoms
3 April 2024Media ReleaseMichael Kirby on board for historic human rights forum
Esteemed international jurist, human rights advocate and former Australian High Court judge Michael Kirby is one of several new speakers and panellists who have been announced as participants in the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference during this year’s Vivid Sydney festival. Justice Kirby will join the line-up for the Rights On Time show on the evening of Thursday 6 June in the Hyatt… -
Race Discrimination
30 May 2024Opinion pieceRace Discrimination Commissioner: Why ABC chiefs should back Laura Tingle for calling out racism
This opinion piece by Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman appeared in The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. As is often the case, the person who calls out racism in Australia faces far more scrutiny than the racism itself. Laura Tingle's comments at the Sydney Writer's Festival last weekend - that Australia is a racist country - have triggered a fierce backlash, ranging… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
13 June 2024SpeechInaugural CASWA AGM and Statewide Gathering Conference
Working together to build capacity Introduction and acknowledgement Thank you, Aunty Robyn, and Tryse for Welcoming us to your beautiful Country. I pay my respects to the traditional owners of the Noongar Nation of the Wadjak lands on which we meet and gather today, here beside the Derbal Yirigan. I thank your ancestors and elders for their custodianship and stewardship over the generations,… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
27 March 2024Media Release
Commissioner June Oscar welcomes Institute funding
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar welcomed the Commonwealth’s funding of the new Wiyi Yani U Thangani Institute for First Nations Gender Justice at the Australian National University. The Institute is the first of its kind in the world and will bring together First Nations researchers to develop and design initiatives to improve outcomes for… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
23 August 2024Media Release
First Nations women let down by native title system
A new report on Australia’s native title system centres the voices of First Nations women to call for significant reform. For the first time since the introduction of the Native Title Act 30 years ago, the experiences of First Nations women have been elevated to show how the system is failing to deliver land justice effectively. “The native title system we have today is not what we had all… -
Commission – General
4 June 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)June 2024: Commission News | President's letter
Dear friends, I'm delighted to welcome the appointment of Hugh de Kretser as our President. For over 20 years, he has been a dedicated and effective advocate for positive change for people and communities whose human rights are at risk. We look forward to him taking the Commission into its next phase in promoting and protecting human rights in Australia when he commences in the position on… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
22 February 2018Media Release
Statement from Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO about alleged NT sexual assault
I am deeply saddened about what has occurred in the Northern Territory town of Tennant Creek and my thoughts are with the 2 year old girl and her loved ones. It’s important the investigations launched by the Northern Territory government and the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner, find out how this terrible tragedy has occurred. As a community we all carry a responsibility to ensure… -
Age Discrimination
28 March 2024News story
Robert Fitzgerald commences as Age Discrimination Commissioner
Find out about the Age Discrimination Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald AM’s immediate and long-term priorities to eliminate ageism and age discrimination. -
Age Discrimination
3 July 2024Speech
Keynote Address to the Law Council of Australia
Mr Robert Fitzgerald AM, Age Discrimination Commissioner Friday, 31 May 2024 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Introduction I would like to thank the Law Council of Australia for this invitation to speak at your National Elder Law and Succession Law Committee meeting, and to your committee chair, Darryl Browne, for introducing me. I wish to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the… -
Commission – General
8 December 2023Media Release
Australia’s human rights champions put social justice and equality centre stage
Women’s equity and racial equality advocate Juliana Nkrumah AM has been awarded the prestigious Human Rights Medal at the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards in Sydney tonight. Other awards went to Gabriel Osborne (Young People’s Award), Northern Pictures (Media and Creative Industries Award), Advocacy Tasmania (Community Award) and the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (Law… -
Rights and Freedoms
12 March 2024Media Release
Historic forum to build momentum for Australian Human Rights Act
Revitalising Australia’s human rights framework – including efforts to introduce an Australian Human Rights Act – will be the focus of a landmark conference in June during the Vivid Sydney festival. Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference will take place over 6 and 7 June at the Hyatt Regency in Sydney and will include 12 engaging… -
Rights and Freedoms
3 May 2024Opinion piece
We need debate on sensible limits on free speech
When president Franklin D. Roosevelt gave the 1941 State of the Union address he spoke of four essential human freedoms people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy. The very first of these was freedom of speech and expression. Free speech was listed first because it is the bedrock of democracy. Salman Rushdie famously described it as “the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is… -
Rights and Freedoms
22 March 2024Media Release
Waleed Aly joins line-up for landmark human rights forum
Presenter, journalist and academic Waleed Aly is among a raft of talent who have just been announced as speakers and panellists for the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference during this year’s Vivid Sydney festival. Mr Aly will join the line-up for the Rights On Time show on the evening of Thursday 6 June in the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom where he’ll panel through time with ‘sleek geek’… -
Race Discrimination
4 March 2024Media Release
Giridharan Sivaraman commences as Race Discrimination Commissioner
Australia’s new Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, said a united approach to anti-racism was essential if our society is to better address and ultimately dismantle systemic racial discrimination in all its forms. Commissioner Sivaraman, who commenced in the role today, said his immediate priority will be to progress a National Anti-Racism Framework as a central reference… -
Rights and Freedoms
29 January 2024Media Release
Statement on the ruling of the International Court of Justice 26 January 2024
The Australian Human Rights Commission reiterates our calls for: human rights to be respected for Palestinians and Israelis; the need to uphold international humanitarian and human rights law; and the rights to protest, freedom of assembly and association. Following the interim ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on 26 January, we join calls for: urgently needed basic services… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
11 October 2024Webpage
Informing The Agenda Consultations
Informing the Agenda Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners Term 2024-2029 Katie Kiss commenced in the role as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner on 3 April 2024. To ensure the voices of First Nations people across Australia help form the agenda for the term, the Commissioner is conducting a national listening tour to hear from… -
Commission – General
9 November 2023Media Release
Attorney-General to deliver 2023 Human Rights Day Oration
Commonwealth Attorney-General the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP will deliver this year’s Human Rights Day Oration at the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards in Sydney on 8 December. The Attorney-General will join 21 Awards finalists and up to 600 guests to honour some of Australia’s leading human rights heroes and to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the