Refine results
-
Commission – General12 December 2023Media Release
Positive duty for employers: Commission’s powers commence
The Commission has new regulatory powers to ensure Australian workplaces, organisations and businesses meet the positive duty requirements. -
Rights and Freedoms23 November 2016Opinion piece
Striking the right balance on free speech
Discover how a former Human Rights Commissioner was asked whether the Racial Discrimination Act impinges on freedom of expression under international law. -
Rights and Freedoms3 September 2019Media Release
Statement by Human Rights Commissioner Edward Santow on the draft Religious Discrimination Bill
“For more than 20 years, the Australian Human Rights Commission has called for reform to prohibit all forms of discrimination on the basis of religious and other beliefs. “Any reform in this area must protect the human rights of all people in Australia, regardless of their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation or any other status. “We will be studying the content of the draft Bill closely ... -
Rights and Freedoms3 July 2020Submission
Inquiry into the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill 2020
The Bill would amend the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s (ASIO’s) compulsory questioning powers under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (Cth) (ASIO Act). -
Legal15 October 2019Submission
Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Cessation) Bill 2019 (Cth)
The Australian Human Rights Commission makes this submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security with respect to its inquiry into the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Citizenship Cessation) Bill 2019. -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Appendix 3 – Statement of Constitutional Validity of an Australian Human Rights Act
On 22 April 2009 the Australian Human Rights Commission convened a meeting of Australian constitutional and human rights lawyers to discuss the constitutional implications of an Australian Human Rights Act. This statement records the consensus reached by those at the meeting. Their names are listed below. -
Rights and Freedoms1 May 2021Media Release
Travel ban and sanctions on Australians travelling from India
The travel ban on Australian citizens returning from India, accompanied by criminal sanctions under the Biosecurity Act, raises serious human rights concerns. The Commission supports the continuation of aid to the Indian Government as it copes with the current COVID-19 crisis, but the Commission holds deep concerns about these extraordinary new restrictions on Australians returning to Australia ... -
Commission – General3 May 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)
May 2024: Commission News | President's letter
Letter from the President: May 2024 It has been a challenging time, with the tragic events at Bondi and Wakeley casting a sombre shadow. It's imperative that we condemn these acts of violence in the strongest possible terms and work together to ensure such tragedies do not occur again. The aftermath of these attacks has sparked heated debate in the media about the right to free speech, and the ... -
Commission – General4 July 2024E-bulletin (Monthly)
July 2024: Commission News | President's letter
Dear friends, I am pleased to report the Free + Equal Conference was a resounding success. A big thank you to everyone who participated in these timely and significant discussions about human rights and the urgent need for a Human Rights Act in Australia. A snapshot of the conference: 700+ delegates pledged support for a national Human Rights Act 60+ speakers 1200+ attendees over two days 12 ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice26 June 2020News story
Commission evidence to FASD Inquiry
The Australian Human Rights Commission is calling for the Australian Government to adopt community led responses informed by targeted investment in research, education, training, diagnosis and treatment to combat Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The Commission yesterday gave evidence before the Senate Community Affairs References Committee's Inquiry into the effective approaches to ... -
Rights and Freedoms11 November 2022Media Release
Human Rights Commissioner to raise juvenile and immigration detention concerns with UN torture committee in Geneva
Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner is set to appear before the United Nations Committee Against Torture in Geneva next week to provide analysis of how Australia measures up against our obligations under the UN’s Convention Against Torture (CAT) and its associated Optional Protocol (OPCAT). -
Rights and Freedoms3 September 2021Webpage
Human rights considerations for vaccine passports and certificates
Learn how vaccine passports are more likely to be consistent with human rights principles when they are used as a tool to improve public health outcomes. -
Disability Rights28 November 2023News story
Commission welcomes new Disability Discrimination Commissioner
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of Rosemary Kayess to the role of Disability Discrimination Commissioner. “On behalf of Commissioners and staff I warmly welcome Ms Kayess to the Commission. She is a leading disability and human rights lawyer who has been extremely influential in her work in international human rights law for people with disability,” said Commission ... -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice14 December 2012Webpage
Expert Mechanism on the rights of Indigenous peoples Statement by Tom Calma, Australian Human Rights Commission. (2008)
I am speaking in my capacity as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner of the Australian Human Rights Commission. The Commission is Australia’s National Human Rights Institution. -
Business and Human Rights9 December 2021Publication
FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Human Rights Risk Assessment (2021)
The AHRC and NZHRC have been asked by FIFA to conduct an independent human rights risk assessment in preparation for the tournament (Human Rights Risk Assessment). -
14 December 2012Book page
The Right to a Discrimination-Free Workplace
The prohibition on discrimination in employment is a relatively recent, but now well-established, feature of the Australian legal environment. Laws prohibiting discrimination in the workplace in Australia date back to 1966 when South Australia introduced the Prohibition of Discrimination Act 1966 (SA), to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race in aspects of employment and in the provision of goods and services.[1] -
Race Discrimination5 February 2024News story
Commission welcomes new Race Discrimination Commissioner
The Australian Human Rights Commission welcomes the appointment of Giridharan Sivaraman as the new Race Discrimination Commissioner. “We are very excited by this appointment. On behalf of the Commission, I would like to warmly welcome Giridharan Sivaraman to the role of Race Discrimination Commissioner,” said Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM. “For decades, the fight ... -
Children's Rights12 November 2014Speech
Protected and safe: a child’s right, our responsibility
Megan Mitchell National Children’s Commissioner National Child Protection Week Gala Dinner – Alice Springs Thursday 11 September Introduction Thank you, Jade and Jacob and good evening everyone. I’m delighted to be here tonight as part of National Child Protection Week. Can I start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting today, the Arrentre – Arrunda - people ... -
Rights and Freedoms8 July 2021News story
Commission’s report into prolonged detention following visa cancellation
The Government should appoint an independent reviewer to examine the basis for the continued detention of people who have been in immigration detention for prolonged periods, including a detailed assessment of any risk they pose to the community, the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission has said in a report tabled in Parliament today. The AHRCA Report 141 ( Immigration detention ... -
LGBTIQ+15 August 2023Media Release
Commission welcomes resolution in Census inclusion complaint
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) today welcomes the resolution of a discrimination complaint brought against the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) over the 2021 Census. The complaint, filed with the AHRC by community organisation Equality Australia and individual April Long, argued that the survey failed to ask meaningful questions to properly count members of the LGBTIQA+ ...