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Disability Rights
5 February 2014PublicationEqual Before the Law
Equality Before The Law is a basic tenet of human rights. But I have learned, both as an advocate and during my time as Australia's Disability Discrimination Commissioner, that equality is not always available for Australians with disabilities in the criminal justice system. This report provides a snapshot of where that equality does not exist, highlights services and programs that improve… -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Opinion pieceExcerpt from the 2003 Mitchell Oration to be delivered by John von Doussa, QC (2003)
Plainly, there is no easy solution. There are millions of hearts to be warmed, and what works for some may have little influence on others. There must be many programs, operating on many levels and operating incrementally so as to touch the greatest possible number of people. -
14 December 2012Book page
Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
We must face up to our humanitarian responsibilities to accept refugee children and their families. We must take them out of the immigration detention centres and welcome them into the community where they can play, learn and grow. At least then when our children look back on this time and ask us what we did to stand up for refugee kids, we can say we gave them their childhood." (Calvert,… -
Business and Human Rights
31 October 2017Opinion pieceSlavery is a bigger problem now than when it was ‘abolished’ - and it's happening here
A diverse group of leaders from the Australian business community, civil society, the religious community and academia has released a Statement of Support for the development of legislation to combat Modern Slavery. -
Disability Rights
13 February 2014Opinion piece
Human rights: everyone, everywhere, everyday
Maria has cerebral palsy and little speech. She wanted to tell police about a sexual assault, but there was no communication support worker to help with the statement. The police relied on Maria's parents to provide communication support. Maria was uncomfortable giving personal details of the assault to police in front of her parents, so her evidence was incomplete. This caused problems for… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 July 2015SpeechWhat are the proper limits on the power of Parliament?
Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues - thank you for your welcome to this Law Institute of Victoria seminar. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I will always have a soft spot for the Law Institute of Victoria. I was admitted to practice in 1969 after completing my articles with Williams Winter and Higgs, and… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 July 2015Speech
What are the proper limits on the power of Parliament?
Distinguished guests, friends and colleagues - thank you for your welcome to this Law Institute of Victoria seminar. I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land and pay my respects to their elders past and present. I will always have a soft spot for the Law Institute of Victoria. I was admitted to practice in 1969 after completing my articles with Williams Winter and Higgs, and… -
Disability Rights
14 March 2014Opinion piece
Send Rosie Anne home
For most of us gaol is a theoretical concept. It's somewhere you go if you commit a serious crime. And that's fair enough. Neither of us have committed a crime, but in various roles during our lives we have visited places of detention. But for short times, and knowing we can always walk out. They are places where fear, despair and anger- a pretty potent cocktail as most prison staff would… -
Disability Rights
26 November 2013Opinion piece
We have to stop this
“Are you talking about rape? I’ve been raped many times. You just have to get used to it.” Imagine that your daughter, sister, mother, wife, girlfriend or female friend had the grave misfortune to have this happen to her - and that this statement, thick with defeat and resignation, was her response to such a gross perpetration of violence against her. Now imagine she is in a care facility… -
Rights and Freedoms
14 December 2012Project
Climate Change and Human Rights
Governments have traditionally approached climate change as an ecological problem, or more recently, as an economic one. So far, the social and human rights implications of climate change have not been widely recognised. The effects of climate change may threaten a broad range of internationally accepted human rights, including the rights to life, to food and to a place to live and work. In… -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageCommission submissions: Katinyeri
1. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission ("the Commission") by notice of motion dated 24 December 1997, has sought leave to intervene in these proceedings pursuant to ss.11(1)(o)of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cth) ("the Act") relying upon the affidavit of Christopher Dominic Sidoti sworn on 24 December 1997. -
Legal
14 December 2012Speech
Law Seminar 2008: Australia and International Human Right: Coming in from the Cold by the Hon Robert McClelland MP
back to Human Rights Law Seminars THE HON ROBERT McCLELLAND MP Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Australia and International Human Right : Coming in from the Cold HREOC, The Hearing Room, Level 8, 133 Castlereagh St, Sydney 23 May 2008, 12.45pm First, may I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet on – and pay my respects to their elders, both past and present… -
14 December 2012Book page
7. Refugee Status Determination for Children in Immigration Detention
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimates that around half of the 50 million displaced persons in the world are children. Around 10 million of these children are under the care of UNHCR. Approximately 100,000 separated children roam Western Europe.(1) During 1999 alone, more than 20,000 separated children applied for asylum in Western Europe, North America or Australia… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
23 February 2015Project
Moving Forward - achieving reparations for the stolen generations
Learn about a conference held to facilitate debate about reparations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from the stolen generations. -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
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Set against the wreckage and the unthinkable horror of the Second World War, the Declaration was something of a phoenix rising from the ashes, a document which sought to rekindle a human dignity which had been gravely debased in the preceding ten years. -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
The Death Penalty - a matter of principle
It is almost 40 years since the last man was hanged in Australia. Today, the death penalty has been abolished in every Australian jurisdiction. Opposition to the death penalty attracts bi-partisan political support. Yet in a region where many of our closest neighbours still maintain the death penalty, I believe Australia can - and should - take a stronger stand against state sanctioned execution. -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
Native Title Respondent Funding Submission, January 2006
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner under section 209 of the Native Title Act 1993 (NTA), is required to report annually to the Commonwealth Attorney-General on the operation of the NTA and its effect on the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As part of this role, the Commissioner also provides submissions to government reviews and… -
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… -
Disability Rights
20 September 2013Speech
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities - Closing Statement
Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 10th Session, Australia - Commissioner Innes, Closing Statement 4th September 2013 -
Sex Discrimination
5 July 2019WebpageNational Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces - Submissions to the National Inquiry
Explore the Australian Human Rights Commission’s inquiry into workplace sexual harassment and contribute to a safer, equitable work environment.