Refine results
-
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC - Annual Report 2001 - 2002: Chapter 6: Human Rights
Dr Sev Ozdowski was appointed Human Rights Commissioner in December 2000 for a five year term. He is also the acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner. -
Commission – General
14 December 2012WebpageConvention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - Human rights at your fingertips - Human rights at your fingertips
Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
Site navigation
I also thank Professor Barry Brook for his survey of the latest scientific assessments and forecasts on the impact of climate change on our planet. They are indeed alarming. The fact of climate change, and the rate of change, has become all too clear, even if there are still sceptics that wish to debate the causes. Our title reference to “Catastrophic Impacts” seems fully justified. -
Rights and Freedoms
11 June 2014SpeechThe Forgotten Freedoms – Freedom of Religion
It is a great pleasure to deliver a Blackfriars Lecture. A few weeks ago I gave a speech to the Sydney Institute outlining the approach I plan to take to human rights as the Federal Commissioner titled ‘The Forgotten Freedoms’. In this speech I outlined that I have concerns about the key freedoms of expression, worship, association and property rights. Reasserting them will be the focus of my… -
Rights and Freedoms
10 April 2013Publication
Homelessness is a Human Rights Issue
This paper explores the many ways that homelessness impacts on a person’s ability to enjoy basic rights and freedoms. It shows that homelessness is more than just a housing issue. Homelessness is about human rights. Homeless people are not merely objects of charity, seeking help and compassion – like all Australians, they are individuals entitled to the protection and promotion of their human… -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageReview of Australia’s Fourth Periodic Report on the Implementation of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights
Recommendation 2: The Australian Government pass a federal Human Rights Act that includes recognition and protection of economic, social and cultural rights. -
Rights and Freedoms
5 March 2013Opinion piece
Freedom of speech is not in danger in Australia (2013)
Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 1998 : Chapter 2: Non-Indigenous Community Responses
You would be hard pressed to find a newspaper, television or radio station that did not make mention of Sorry Day activities and National Reconciliation events over the past week. -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Testing Bill) 2007
The Minister must, by written determination, approve a test for the purposes of subsection 21(2A) which examines whether the applicant has satisfied the general eligibility requirements set out in sections 21(2)(d), (e) and (f). -
14 December 2012Book page
3 Theme One - Economic Independence for Women: Listening Tour Report
I'm a mother who has been out of the paid workforce for two years and will probably be for the next 4 years, until my children are ready for pre-school. My return to work will probably be on a part-time basis and I will probably have to re-start my career after so many years out so I don't expect that I will earn very much. I never thought this would be the case - I studied for many years, earned… -
Legal
19 August 2013Submission
Information concerning Australia and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 1 Introduction This submission is made by the Australian Human Rights Commission, Australia’s national human rights institution. It outlines a number of issues that the Commission suggests should be considered by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as it develops… -
Legal
27 October 2014Submission
Information concerning Australia’s compliance with the Convention Against Torture
Information concerning Australia’s compliance with the Convention Against Torture Submission by the Australian Human Rights Commission 17 October 2014 Download PDF Download Word Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Statutory powers of the Australian Human Rights Commission 3 Independent monitoring and inspection mechanisms, including ratification of the Optional Protocol 4 Domestic… -
14 December 2012Book page
Bringing them Home - Chapter 2
Every morning our people would crush charcoal and mix that with animal fat and smother that all over us, so that when the police came they could only see black children in the distance. We were told always to be on the alert and, if white people came, to run into the bush or run and stand behind the trees as stiff as a poker, or else hide behind logs or run into culverts and hide. Often the white… -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
Site navigation
I was invited to pick my own topic for discussion. As an ex-judge being invited to speak to students of the law, I assumed that I was expected to speak on something related to the administration of the law from a judge's perspective. And as President of Australia's Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), I assumed I was expected to mention the role of human rights promotion in our… -
Employers18 February 2015Quick Guide
Languages
Treating someone differently because of the language that they speak may be against the law. Find out more in this quick guide for employers. -
Rights and Freedoms
26 March 2014Opinion piece
Free speech is best medicine for the bigotry disease
THE proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act provide the basis for correcting the legal limits of free speech, promoting pluralism, opposing reprehensible racism and highlighting the importance of responsibility. Arguably the most important change is assessing an 18C violation based on “the standard of an ordinary reasonable member of the Australian community”. Interpretations… -
Sex Discrimination
14 December 2012SpeechThe Hidden Business Problem: Domestic Violence
Thank you, Bob, for that generous introduction and warm welcome. And thank you to G&T for hosting this event. I am so pleased to be able to join you this evening for this year’s Vincent Fairfax Speaker Series. I thought I might never make it – for the last two days I have had the privilege of being on-board the warship HMAS Sydney as it undertook war exercises offshore –… -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2001: Chapter 3: Indigenous governance and community capacity-building
Last year’s Social Justice Report noted that to date there has been insufficient attention by governments to processes which ensure greater Indigenous participation and control over service design and delivery as part of an overall strategy to redress Indigenous disadvantage and economic marginalisation. I observed that: -
Race Discrimination
14 December 2012PublicationThe RDA and native title (1997)
The response to the High Court’s Wik decision has given rise to intense discussions about the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA), the Australian Constitution and the future of native title, among other things. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2000: Chapter 4: Achieving meaningful reconciliation
This report identifies the necessity to adopt a human rights approach to reconciliation, as well as shortcomings in Australia's performance on human rights issues as they relate to Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. This chapter emphasises processes and mechanisms that enable reconciliation to be implemented within a human rights framework. It identifies crucial commitments and processes…