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14 December 2012Book page
Annual Report 1999-2000: Appendix 4
Initial inquiries about access to Commission documents should be directed to the Freedom of Information Officer by either telephoning (02) 9284 9600 or by writing to: -
16 March 2022Conciliation register
2020-10-01
The complainant is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. He alleged that the respondent council built a bridge that is not compliant with the relevant disability standard. He claimed pedestrians using wheelchairs were required to cross to roads, whereas pedestrians not using mobility aids were not required to do so. The council claimed the disability standard did not apply to the bridge, but… -
Rights and Freedoms
31 October 2013SpeechFreedom of Speech and giving offence: can a balance be struck?
Annual Kirby Lecture on International law: ANZSIL 2013 Thursday 4 July 20136:30 pm Finkel Theatre, John Curtin School of Medical Research,Garran Rd, Australian National University (Check against delivery) Freedom of Speech and giving offence: can a balance be struck? I was especially pleased to be invited to give this address as, throughout my career, I have been enriched by Michael Kirby’s … -
14 December 2012Book page
Annual Report 06-07: Significant Achievements
This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. -
Rights and Freedoms
14 December 2012Speech
Human Rights in Contemporary Australia: Dr Sev Ozdowski OAM (2001)
Despite its rather grand title, this presentation will be a relatively modest attempt to set out the key challenges for human rights in Australia as I see them at the outset of my term as Human Rights Commissioner. Let us begin with a quick survey of the state of human rights internationally and in Australia today. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
21 October 2013PublicationCasenote: FKAG v Australia and MMM v Australia
The UN Human Rights Committee has found that the indefinite detention of 46 refugees with adverse security assessments was arbitrary and amounted to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). -
14 December 2012Book page
Report on the Human Rights Commissioner's Visit to Curtin IRPC in July 2000
On Saturday 29 July 2000 the then Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Chris Sidoti, assisted by a consultant, Dr Mary Crock, Senior Lecturer in Law at Sydney University, visited the Curtin Immigration Reception and Processing Centre outside Derby in the Kimberley region of WA. They made observations and obtained information about accommodation, programs and services, and particulars about the… -
Race Discrimination
14 December 2012PublicationGuide to the Racial Hatred Act
The Racial Hatred Act, introduced in October 1995, extends the coverage of the RDA so that people can complain to the Australian Human Rights Commission about racially offensive or abusive behaviour. It aims to strike a balance between two valued rights: the right to communicate freely and the right to live free from vilification. -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageSubmission: Human Rights and Good Governance Education
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) which was established in 1986 by the Federal Parliament as successor to the 1981 Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory authority whose functions are to monitor, protect and promote human rights in Australia. The Commission has played a key role in the education of civil society in regard to these rights. -
21 May 2013Webpage
Commission Reports raising ICCPR Article 9
ICCPR Article 9 recognises some of the most basic liberty rights. Commission reports on complaints under the Australian Human Rights Commission Act involve extensive work in this area. Reports are also available on the Commission's This page is intended to provide more convenient access to this work in relation to ICCPR Article 9 specifically. Many of these reports demonstrate that breaches… -
Disability Rights
14 December 2012SpeechPresentation to the NSW Subcommittee of the Australian Braille Authority
Have you ever stopped to think about all the things that we take for granted? When you're wandering through the breakfast cereal isle at the supermarket, for example, do you ever wonder whether Uncle Toby really was? If so, was he related to Sara Lee? Were Nana's apple pies originally made by Granny Smith? It's not so much that familiarity breeds contempt as that it lulls us into a state of mind… -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2021-02-13
The complainant is Sikh and Punjabi and wears a turban over his unshorn hair. He alleged the respondent university required him to wear the graduation trencher hat in order to participate in his graduation ceremony. The complainant said he could not fit the trencher over his turban and could not remove the turban for religious and practical reasons. He alleged university staff were rude and … -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2020-04-03
The complainant has schizophrenia and a back injury and was employed in an IT role with the respondent government agency. He alleged he was treated less favourably because he has schizophrenia, including by being excluded from the workplace, being given excessive work to perform at home, having his personal property tampered with and being referred to as ‘weird’. He also alleged the agency… -
2 July 2021Conciliation register
2020-06-07
The complainant is a woman and alleged the respondent bowls club did not admit women as full members. The bowls club claimed that its constitution empowered and allowed its male-only committee to deny women full membership to the club. The complaint was resolved with an agreement that the club accept the Complainant’s application for full membership and an acknowledgement by the club that… -
14 December 2012Book page
Living Spirit - Muslim Women's Project 2006: Report
The project was officially supported by the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia, the Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria, the Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria, the Islamic Council of Victoria, the Islamic Girls’ and Women's Group, the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues, the Victorian Immigrant and Refugee Women’s Coalition and Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE. The… -
28 November 2014Book page
Lessons
Teachers can access a series of lesson plans that were created by the Commission to help students build an understanding of human rights issues -
1 February 2024Conciliation register
2022-10-06
The complainant has an acquired brain injury and was employed as a service officer in a government agency. The complainant said he advised the agency of his disability when he applied for the role and requested reasonable adjustments to accommodate his disability, particularly extra time to process information. He alleged the agency took over four months to provide him with adjustments and… -
Disability Rights
14 December 2012Speech
Dimensions of diversity in Australian civil society
It is a particular pleasure for me to have been invited here today to launch the City of Dandenong's Diversity Action Plan. Allow me a few moments to explain why. -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
Federal Discrimination Law 2005: Chapter 1: Introduction
Federal Discrimination Law 2005 provides an overview of significant issues in federal unlawful discrimination law. It examines the jurisprudence that has been developed in relation to: -
14 April 2022Conciliation register
2021-04-13
The complainant is from Sri Lanka and was employed as a casual team member at the respondent supermarket. He alleged the respondent manager reduced his shifts while employing new Anglo-Saxon/white Australian staff. He also alleged Anglo-Saxon/white Australian staff were allocated less onerous duties, such as selling cigarettes and newspapers and monitoring self-checkout counters as opposed…