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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
8 March 2021Media ReleaseCelebrating First Nations women on IWD
On International Women’s Day (IWD) the Commission pays tribute to the tireless and important work of First Nations women across Australia. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO has called for recognition and celebration of the power and potential of deadly First Nations women all over the country who are leading, nurturing and growing the oldest… -
Race Discrimination
27 September 2019Media ReleaseSubmission on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill
The Australian Human Rights Commission supports reform to improve protections against religious discrimination for all people in Australia. While supporting much of the draft Religious Discrimination Bill, the Commission urges that the Bill be amended to avoid limiting other human rights and overriding existing anti-discrimination laws. “The Commission has advocated for more than 20 years… -
Legal
17 June 2019SubmissionReview of citizenship loss provisions in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (Cth)
The Commission urges reform of these citizenship loss provisions, and makes 11 recommendations to ameliorate the significant human rights concerns. -
Age Discrimination
17 January 2019Media ReleaseToo old to work at 50: Survey
A new survey on attitudes to employing older workers has found that up to 30 per cent of Australian employers are still reluctant to hire workers over a certain age, and for more than two thirds of this group, that age was over 50. The survey of more than 900 human resource professionals was conducted by the Australian HR Institute supported by the Australian Human Rights Commission. It… -
Business and Human Rights
30 November 2022SpeechExecutive discretion in a time of COVID-19
Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have required very quick action by governments. But those responses have also involved significant limitations on people’s rights and freedoms, especially freedom of movement, and implemented through executive power often with limited parliamentary involvement. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
22 October 2019Media Release
Cashless Debit Card Bill ‘not compatible’ with human rights
The Australian Human Rights Commission has warned that the proposed Cashless Debit Card Bill is not compatible with Australia’s international human rights obligations. In a submission to the Senate Inquiry into the Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019, the Commission also raises concerns regarding the lack of robust… -
Age Discrimination
22 July 2020Media Release
Urgent call to harmonise powers of attorney
Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner, the Hon Dr Kay Patterson AO, has called on the federal and state and territory Attorneys-General to act urgently to implement the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) recommendations on powers of attorney at the COAG meeting on 27 July. The Australian Human Rights Commission has heard from lawyers, peak bodies and frontline workers of a sharp… -
Technology and Human Rights
23 November 2020Media ReleaseHistorical bias in AI systems
Learn more about how historical bias in data sets can negatively impact developing and deploying ethical AI. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
25 March 2021Media Release
Joint Statement: Rights of Children in the NT
Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO have urged the Northern Territory government to reconsider its proposals for youth offending, announced yesterday. The NT Government yesterday said it would put in "automatic revocation of bail" for young people who reoffend or breach their bail… -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
26 July 2019Media ReleaseTransferring asylum seeker families to Nauru – human rights report
The practice of sending to Nauru families with young children who arrived in Australia seeking asylum is the subject of an inquiry report by the Australian Human Rights Commission tabled in Parliament today. [1] Mr Richard Lancaster SC, as delegate of the President, found that the regional processing centre on Nauru was not an appropriate place to send families with young children… -
Children's Rights
6 February 2020Media ReleaseChildren’s Commissioner to Launch Final Report
Australia’s first Children’s Commissioner, Megan Mitchell will on Monday launch her final report – one of the most comprehensive assessments of children’s rights ever produced in Australia. The report makes clear that the mental health of Australian children is not being cared for sufficiently and that Governments must do more to ensure children’s wellbeing. Commissioner Mitchell said: “Not… -
Rights and Freedoms
3 September 2019Media ReleaseStatement by Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill
“For more than 20 years, the Australian Human Rights Commission has called for reform to prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of religious and other beliefs. “Any reform in this area must protect the human rights of all people in Australia, regardless of their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or any other status. “We will be studying the content of the draft Bill… -
Race Discrimination
3 February 2020Media Release
Coronavirus requires unity and support, not division
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Chin Tan has urged all Australians to remain calm, show consideration and unite as a community in response to the Coronavirus crisis: “Reports of racial discrimination against Chinese people in our community are disappointing. They hurt both the Chinese community and our collective community wellbeing at a time when… -
Race Discrimination
17 March 2020Media Release
Commemorating one year since the Christchurch mosque attack
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan and Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow have commemorated the one-year anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attack. In a joint statement, they said: “The Christchurch massacre was deeply traumatic for New Zealand’s Muslim community. That trauma has echoed throughout the Muslim community in Australia and internationally.” “One year… -
17 January 2019Webpage
National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces - limited waiver of confidentiality obligations
Learn how the Commission asked employers to allow their staff to make confidential submissions to the National Inquiry into Workplace Sexual Harassment. -
14 December 2012Book page
12. Education for Children in Immigration Detention
Just send my children to school, and let them be in freedom. They should live in a human good atmosphere, they should learn something good, and not the things they are learning here.(1) -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
Inquiry into the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 and Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (2009)
The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission)[1] welcomes the opportunity to make this Submission to the Australian Government Review of the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Act 1999 (Cth) (the EOWW Act) and the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (the EOWA). -
Legal
30 January 2019Submission
Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018
1. Executive summary The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) makes this submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, in response to its review of the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 (Cth) (the Bill). The Explanatory Memorandum states that the purpose of the Bill is to introduce measures to…