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With a plethora of issues currently impacting significantly on the rights of people across Australia, an upcoming landmark national conference during the Vivid Sydney festival is set to explore a range of new approaches to protecting and promoting human rights in Australia. Concerns about racism and freedom of speech stemming from the impact of the war in Gaza; Australia’s domestic violence,…

Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dr Anna Cody has called on the Federal Government to reconsider a decision to renege on a commitment to have LGBTIQA+-related questions and topics in the 2026 Census.

The Queensland Government’s ‘Community Safety Act’ allowing more children to be locked up in the first instance is another step backwards for child justice and community safety, National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said. “We all want to live in communities where kids can flourish and where everyone is safe, especially children. But this approach to offending by children doesn’t…

Organisers of a major national human rights conference have just announced a 60% discount for students who want to attend the historic gathering in June during the Vivid Sydney festival. Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference is set to attract hundreds of delegates from across Australia’s human rights, civil society, legal, justice,…

Australia’s Age Discrimination Commissioner, Robert Fitzgerald AM, has called on the Federal Government to formally endorse the creation of a UN Convention on the Rights of Older Persons, in what he said remains a missing piece in the international human rights framework. Currently, there is no binding international instrument dedicated to the rights of older persons, like there is for race,…

Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of an inquiry into Australia’s handling of the COVID pandemic but has criticised the inquiry’s terms of reference for not having a specific focus on human rights impacts and for excluding the unilateral actions of state and territory governments. Today Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the…

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and the National Children’s Commissioner today criticised the failure of leadership by the Commonwealth, states and territories to incorporate human rights standards into domestic law.  

The Disability Discrimination Commissioner has broadly supported reform initiatives by the federal government to improve the aviation industry, but warned the proposed changes may not be enough to fully address the discrimination and undignified treatment of people with disability.

Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Sex Discrimination Commissioner say the findings of a Senate inquiry into murdered and missing First Nations women provide more evidence of how to address violence against women and girls in First Nations communities.

Federal Court handed down judgement that Roxanne Tickle was discriminated against when she was refused access to a social media app, ‘made for women by women’.

Leading human rights advocates from across Australia and around the world are set to give a massive boost to efforts to introduce an Australian Human Rights Act at a historic forum in June during the Vivid Sydney festival. The final line-up of speakers has just been announced with more than 60 eminent experts, thought leaders, social justice advocates and community heroes set to provide a…

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…

The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of Katie Kiss as the new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. Ms Kiss is a proud Kaanju and Birri/Widi woman who grew up in Rockhampton, Central Queensland on the lands of the Darumbal People. She is currently the Executive Director of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body supporting Queensland’s Path…

Australia’s new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, said in the wake of the devastating outcome of last year’s Voice referendum, Australia must consider the next steps, and prioritise finding ways to heal and soothe divisions. This includes making meaningful progress in addressing the systemic and structural discrimination experienced by First…

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, has marked the start of Reconciliation Week by calling on Australians to finally overcome generations of disadvantage and division when it comes to First Nations rights, and forge a path for unity. The Commissioner warned that systemic failures facing Indigenous communities in all sectors of society including…

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…

In a major new report, Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner is calling for significant changes to how our federal, state and territory governments approach child justice and the wellbeing of children who are or who are at risk of being caught up in the criminal justice system.