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Commission – General
14 December 2012WebpageAustralian Council of Human Rights Agencies (ACHRA) - UPR Progress Report (2011)
The Australian Government is to be commended for its frank and robust engagement in the UPR process to date, both in the formal working group session and in engaging with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), NGOs and civil society throughout the process. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
9 July 2013WebpageAlternatives to detention
There are alternatives to Australia’s system of mandatory, indefinite immigration detention that allow for the protection of the community from identified risks, while at the same time ensuring that people are treated humanely and in line with internationally accepted human rights standards. The Commission has long advocated for greater use of these alternatives to holding people in closed ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Let's talk about rights: A guide to help young people have their say about human rights in Australia (2009)
This guide has been produced by the Australian Human Rights Commission to help you participate in the Australian Government’s National Human Rights Consultation. -
Rights and Freedoms
14 March 2024SpeechThe Perils of Independence
The Australian Human Rights Commission’s role in protecting human rights in Australia Sir Ronald Wilson Lecture 2021 Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM President, Australian Human Rights Commission Acknowledgements Thank you Matthew McGuire for your welcome to country and Kendra Turner as MC. I am speaking from the traditional lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, in the city of ... -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
Creating a culture of human rights compliance
Debates about a charter of rights are often monopolised by the contentious issue of the proper role of the courts. While this is undoubtedly an important question, it overlooks the impact a charter would have on the role of Parliament as a guardian of rights of freedoms. -
Commission – General
14 December 2012Speech
Seventh International Conference for National Human Rights Institutions
Torture and various forms of terrorism have been practiced throughout history, though never on the scale we are now confronted with. The first visual records of police interrogation were discovered in a four thousand year old tomb in ancient Egypt. Since the pharaohs there have been many refinements in methods of inducing physical pain and gathering intelligence, most notably during the Spanish Inquisition, but more recently in the modern totalitarian state. -
31 January 2013Webpage
2004 Human Rights Medal and Awards Winners
The 2004 Medal and Awards presentation ceremony was held on 10 December 2004 at a luncheon at the Sheraton on the Park hotel in Sydney. The Human Rights Day address was delivered by Commission President, the Hon. John von Doussa QC and Julie McCrossin was the MC. The judges were: Jonathan Biggins, Justice Catherine Branson, David Cooper, Maurice Corcoran, Nicholas Cowdery QC, Eva Cox, Morag Fraser ... -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
12 June 2014Webpage
Submissions made to the inquiry
Please note : In accordance with the terms of the submissions process, the inquiry has: not listed below or published any confidential submissions; and in some cases, edited or not published (where an edited copy could not reasonably be published) the non-confidential submissions, in order to protect the identity of the authors, third parties, or where otherwise appropriate. The Commission notes ... -
31 July 2013Book page
4 What are the human rights issues raised by refusal or cancellation of visas under section 501?
The Commission has a number of concerns about the impact on the human rights of people whose applications for visas are refused or whose visas are cancelled under section 501 of the Migration Act. The Commission is particularly concerned about the consequences for: refugees who have their applications for protection visas refused on character grounds long-term permanent residents of Australia who ... -
14 December 2012Book page
HREOC Annual Report 2003-2004 : Chapter 2: Human rights education and promotion
A central function of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission is to undertake education programs that increase public awareness and generate discussion of human rights and anti-discrimination issues within Australia. -
14 December 2012Book page
2011 Immigration detention at Curtin
For more than a decade, the Australian Human Rights Commission has called for reforms to Australia’s system of mandatory and indefinite immigration detention – both in light of the impacts it has on people’s mental health and wellbeing, and because it leads to breaches of Australia’s international human rights obligations. During this time, the Commission has investigated numerous complaints from people in detention and conducted two national inquiries into the mandatory detention system.[1] -
Legal
14 December 2012WebpageHREOC submission to Inquiry into Immigration Detention in Australia
Recommendation 1: The Migration Act should be amended so that detention occurs only when necessary. This should be the exception not the norm. It must be for a minimal period, be reasonable and be a proportionate means of achieving at least one of the aims outlined in international law (ExComm Conclusion 44). These limited grounds for detention should be clearly prescribed in the Migration Act. -
Asylum Seekers and Refugees
23 January 2013Publication
Immigration detention on Christmas Island - Observations from visit to Immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island
Immigration detention on Christmas Island Observations from visit to Immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island -
5 February 2015Book page
11 Children indefinitely detained
11.1 Refugees with adverse security assessments 11.2 Sydney Detention Centre 11.3 Findings in relation to children indefinitely detained As of August 2014 there were nine children in detention centres in Australia with parents who had received adverse security assessments from the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). These children are indefinitely detained in Australia because at ... -
Rights and Freedoms
1 May 2013Webpage
Right to humane treatment in detention
Learn how under human rights law, all Australians have the right to humane treatment while in detention and that adults and children must be separated. -
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. -
Legal
14 December 2012Webpage
Updated information from the Australian Human Rights Commission on Australia’s implementation of the ICCPR (2009)
Ms Nathalie Prouvez Secretary of the Human Rights Committee Human Rights Treaties Branch Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights CH-1211 Geneva 10 Switzerland -
14 December 2012Book page
6. Australia's Immigration Detention Policy and Practice
Australian law requires the detention of all non-citizens who are in Australia without a valid visa (unlawful non-citizens). This means that immigration officials have no choice but to detain persons who arrive without a visa (unauthorised arrivals), or persons who arrive with a visa and subsequently become unlawful because their visa has expired or been cancelled (authorised arrivals). Australian law makes no distinction between the detention of adults and children. -
Rights and Freedoms
14 December 2012Speech
Human Rights, Governance and Decision Making
Good morning, and thank you for the opportunity to speak at this conference. I'm very pleased to be here. Firstly as a senior Commonwealth public servant not based in Canberra I immediately warm to this forum. The challenges of interacting with, and learning from, our colleagues are increased greatly by the fact that we aren't located in the city viewed by most commonwealth public servants as the centre of the universe. -
Rights and Freedoms
1 May 2013Webpage
Right to security of the person and freedom from arbitrary detention
Learn how under human rights law, no person can be held under arbitrary arrest or detention, including persons in immigration detention.