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Young people seeking asylum – protecting their rights in Australia Practitioners Workshop, ‘Improving Services for Unaccompanied Minors & Young People Seeking Asylum’ CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY 1. Acknowledgments Thank you, Pino, for your introduction. Thank you also to Australian Red Cross for the invitation to speak on this panel today. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land…

I would like to welcome everybody to the launch of Rights of Passage: A Dialogue with Young Australians about Human Rights. I thank you all for coming.

Australia became a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. The rest of the world refers to it by the unappealing acronym of CRPD, or the Disability Convention, but I like to refer to it as the Disco. It's catchy, and it creates a great image for me of people with disability dancing, and being to go anywhere they want - although I haven't been inside a disco for…

As you know, the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, and equivalent laws in all States, make it unlawful to discriminate on the ground of a person's disability. One of the areas covered by the Act is access to premises. The only exception to this is where a building is already constructed not providing access, and alteration to provide access would cause unjustifiable hardship.

The Sydney Institute

I would also like to thank the Law Council of Australia and its Advisory Committee on Indigenous Legal Issues for inviting me to deliver this address, and to take part in the customary law panel discussion later today. 

When I was invited to prepare this paper, Andrew Byrnes encouraged me to concentrate on drawing out strategic thoughts from the Australian experience which might be relevant in Hong Kong , and perhaps in other countries also. That is what I hope to do, rather than spending much time simply reciting that experience or the terms of Australia 's legislation.

It is my pleasure to acknowledge the presence of Cr Paul Pearce, Mayor of Waverley, Councillors and staff of the Waverley Council, Mr Howard Glenn, National Director of Australians for Just Refugee Programs, our excellent performers and last but not least volunteers who have made tonight's celebrations possible. Ladies and Gentleman, all.

Let me also acknowledge that we are meeting on the traditional land of Ngunnawal people. I pay my respects to their elders past and present, and all the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who have worked so committedly to eliminating sexual assault.

The globalisation of the world economy, including much improved communication and transportation, has increased flows of people across borders.  This includes the movement of children, both with their family and unaccompanied.  Separated children crossing borders may be refugees, humanitarian asylum seekers, trafficked girls who will be forced to work as prostitutes, or simply children lost in…

Ten years ago I gave the occasional address at a graduation at Sydney University. I accepted the invitation to speak in the Great Hall and then informed the University that - as the platform on which students received their degrees was not accessible for people with mobility disability - I would speak from the floor of the hall. I did that, and told the story of Bradley Kinsella. He had studied…

ACECQA NQF Conference Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre 13 September 2013 CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY 1. Acknowledgments Slide 1 – Introduction I would like to acknowledge and pay my respects to the Traditional Owners of the land we meet on today – the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, and pay respect to their elders both past and present. It is on their lands that the Sydney Convention…

Thanks for the chance to speak with you today, and to have the opportunity for discussion. Who was Rosa Parks? She was the African-American who, in the 1960s - yes back in the last century - refused to sit at the back of the bus. She was one of the catalysts for the American civil rights movement.

In April last year, I was asked by the Minister for Defence to conduct an independent Review into the Treatment of Women - both in the Australian Defence Force Academy, or ADFA, and in the broader Australian Defence Force - on behalf of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

16th National Family Law Conference Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to be here today at the 16th National Family Law Conference. Thank you Judge Bauman for the kind introduction. I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land we meet on, and I pay my respects to their elders both past and present. I would like to thank Maureen Schull …

16th National Family Law Conference Wednesday 8 October 2014 Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is a privilege to be here today at the 16th National Family Law Conference. Thank you Judge Bauman for the kind introduction. I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land we meet on, and I pay my respects to their elders both past and present. I would like…

Firstly, I would like to pass on apologies from the President of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, The Hon. John von Doussa QC, who is presently interstate and unable to be here today. It goes without saying that he entirely endorses the purpose of this project and believes there should be more of it.