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Commission – General
14 December 2012SpeechPresident speech: ‘How could a Human Rights Act lead to better Government?’
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we meet, the Ngunnawal peoples, and pay my respect to their elders past and present. -
14 December 2012Book page
Mandatory detention laws in Australia (2001)
This paper gives a brief overview of the mandatory detention laws currently operating in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It examines their operation and gives some insights into how they have impacted on particular groups including young people and Indigenous Australians. It gives a critique of mandatory detention by reference to Australia's international human rights obligations,… -
Disability Rights
19 March 2015Speech6th National Disability Summit - Keynote speech: Disability Discrimination Commissioner
To begin, I would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are meeting. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and the Elders from other communities who may be here today. Thank you for inviting me to speak at the 6th National Disability Summit. -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
"An Acknowledgement of Traditional Custodianship"
At the start of the ceremony today a formal acknowledgement was made of our presence on the land of the Kaurna people. The Council of this University at its meeting in October 2004 resolved that this acknowledgement would be made at all major University of Adelaide functions. It is appropriate that something be said about the significance and reasons for the acknowledgment during these, the first… -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
Human rights education in a time of terrorism (2003)
In the newspapers of recent weeks we seem constantly confronted with similarly miserable and distressing events – a mortar attack on CARE Australia’s office in Baghdad; attacks on a synagogue and the British consulate in Istanbul; more suicide bombings in Israel. -
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,… -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageSubmission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Legislation Committee
A strong and independent national human rights organisation is crucial to promote and protect fundamental values of fairness, equality, tolerance and non-discrimination. -
14 December 2012Book page
Indigenous young people with cognitive disabilities
This section outlines current knowledge around Indigenous young people with cognitive disabilities and/ or mental health issues. It introduces concepts and best practice models from Australia and internationally. -
14 December 2012Book page
Bringing them Home - Chapter 8
The general opinion of station people is that it is a mistake to take these children out of the bush. They say that the aboriginal mothers are fond of their children and in their own way look after them and provide for them and that when they grow up they are more easily absorbed and employed than those who have been taken out of their natural environment and removed to towns. -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
DR OZDOWSKI: My name is Dr Ozdowski and I am the Human Rights Commissioner and we are conducting an Inquiry into Children in Detention. To my left is Mrs Robin Sullivan who is Assistant Commissioner for the Inquiry and in her other life, she is Queensland Children's Commissioner and to my right is Professor Trang Thomas, Professor of Psychology at the Melbourne Institute of Technology and she is… -
Rights and Freedoms
12 March 2018SpeechThe sick and disabled under National Socialism
Registered, persecuted, annihilated: the sick and disabled under National Socialism Erfasst, verfolgt, vernichtet—kranke und behinderte Menschen im Nationalsozialismus Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM President, Australian Human Rights Commission Introduction Professor Gus Lehrer, Mr Norman Seligman, Associate Professor Michael Roberston, Holocaust survivors, distinguished guests… -
Rights and Freedoms
19 May 2014Opinion piece
Opening minds to ‘forgotten freedoms’
Opinion by Human Rights Commissioner, Tim Wilson. First published in The Australian on 17 May 2014. Reform is not the end of debating free speech in Australia, it is the beginning The “forgotten freedoms” provide the foundations of our liberal democracy, and we have to reconnect with them. There are competing views about how human rights and freedoms should be approached. After all, human… -
26 March 2014Book page
Chapter 4: Principle 1: Strong leadership drives reform
Key findings of ADF Review To support and drive the cultural reform envisaged by the ADF Review, strong, clear and consistent leadership is essential. This commitment must be widely communicated and reinforced at all levels of the organisation through policies, practices, rewards and sanctions. Progress must be monitored at the most senior levels regularly and transparently. Every member of… -
Children's Rights
19 December 2016SpeechLaunch of Children's Rights Report 2016
Introduction Good morning everyone. I want to begin by speaking about an artwork submitted by a young person detained in a youth justice centre. This was sent to me as an entry to an art competition I ran for children and young people in youth justice centres this year. I asked them to show me how they felt, what they wished for and what they needed. Many of the entries can be seen around… -
Legal
6 February 2014Submission
Judicial review of lawfulness of detention (2013)
The Australian Human Rights Commission provides this response to the questionnaire from the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in relation to judicial review of the lawfulness of detention. -
Race Discrimination
30 March 2019SpeechRace Discrimination Commissioner, Mr Chin Tan, on Nelson Mandela Day
Thank you for the very kind welcome. May I extend particular thanks to the Nelson Mandela Day Commemorative Committee (NMDCC) for the invitation and for having me here this evening. Let me start by acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land where we gather tonight, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation, and pay my respects to their elders past, present and emerging. I would… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
25 March 2019PublicationUN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007)
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the General Assembly on Thursday, 13 September 2007. The Declaration is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous peoples. -
31 January 2013Webpage
1999 Human Rights Medal and Awards Winners
The 1999 Medal and Awards presentation ceremony was held on 10 December 1999 at a luncheon in the James Cook Ballroom, Hotel Inter-Continental in Sydney. Special guest was the Attorney-General the Hon. Daryl Williams AM QC MP and the guest speaker was film maker Paul Cox. Christina Koutsoukos was the MC. The judges were: Doug Anderson, Michael Antrum, The Hon. Justice Catherine Branson,… -
Disability Rights
1 May 2024Webpage
Your rights as an employee under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
Learn about the Disability Discrimination Act, what you can do if you experience discrimination and how to make a complaint to the Commission. -
14 December 2012Book page
Annual Report 2001-2002: Chapter 3
As a result of the enactment of the Human Rights Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 1999 (Cth) the jurisdiction of the Commission to conduct public inquiries into complaints was transferred on 13 April 2000 to the Federal Court and Federal Magistrates Service. However, the Commission retained the jurisdiction to complete those public inquiries it had commenced prior to 13 April 2000. During 2000&…