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14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 2 – An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander human rights protection framework for the 21st century: Social Justice Report 2008
All Australians are equally entitled to enjoy the rights, benefits and responsibilities of citizenship. In our society, every person should feel free from discrimination of any kind and have the right to share in the nation's land, resources and wealth. The entitlements and freedoms of all people are recognised in human rights instruments, many of which have been freely signed and ratified by Australia, and in some instances are now a part of Australian law. -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
Human rights for people with intellectual disabilities in Australia: where to from here?
I will not speak in detail about human rights conventions and disability because this topic is addressed by my co-speaker in this session, Karl Lachwitz. I will say though that international human rights law and human rights debate has not yet acknowledged adequately or sufficiently clearly that people with a disability are part of what the "human" in human rights means. Equally, there has not always been enough attention to human rights dimensions in disability discourse. -
Commission – General14 December 2012Speech
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The Annual Mitchell Oration is held as a tribute to Dame Roma’s lifelong efforts to improve the respect in Australia for human rights, and to counter discrimination experienced by many people, especially women, members of Indigenous communities, and of ethnic minorities. -
Rights and Freedoms11 May 2016Speech
Human rights across the Tasman: a widening gulf
I am honoured to have been invited to give this lecture at the Law School of the University of Canterbury, funded by the generosity of the Sir Eric Hotung Fellowship. While I had settled the subject matter of this lecture, I thought it would be helpful to know what other Hotung Fellows had discussed in previous years. I looked at last year’s lecture and was pleased to see that Professor Morrison ... -
Children's Rights20 November 2014Speech
Children's Rights in a Changing World
Megan Mitchell National Children's Commissioner Australian Human Rights Commission Association of Children's Welfare Agencies Conference 2014 20 August 2014 Check Against Delivery Introduction Thank you, Stephen, and good afternoon everyone. Can I start by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we are meeting today, and paying my respects to their elders past and present. I’d ... -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
6th National Deafblind Conference
Almost every day there seems to be some new development in information and communications technology. Technologies which did not exist a few years ago are now worth many billions of dollars each year in economic activity. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice14 June 2024Speech
4th National Indigenous Empowerment Summit
‘Framing Indigenous empowerment with human rights: using the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples for real change’ Wednesday 12 June 2024 Good Morning All My name is Katie Kiss. I am a proud Kaanju, Biri/Widi woman from North Queensland. I was born and raised on the lands of the Darumbal peoples in Rockhampton, in Central Queensland. Before I begin today, I pay my respects to the ... -
Rights and Freedoms19 August 2016Speech
Tony Blackshield Lecture
HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE OVERREACH OF EXECUTIVE DISCRETION: CITIZENSHIP, ASYLUM SEEKERS AND WHISTLEBLOWERS It is a special pleasure for me to speak in honour of Professor Blackshield, who is a long time colleague of mine in the law. He is a constitutional law scholar of the highest order and one of the most influential figures in Australian legal education over the last 50 years. I have two memories ... -
14 December 2012Book page
National Disability Strategy: Australian Human Rights Commission Submission
The Australian Human Rights and Commission (the Commission) makes this submission in response to the Australian Government's Discussion Paper on a National Disability Strategy. -
11 February 2014Book page
1 Disability Justice Strategies – an introduction
1.1 Barriers People with disabilities do not enjoy equality before the law when they come into contact with the criminal justice system in Australia. Whether a person with disability is the victim of a crime, accused of a crime or a witness, they are at increased risk of being disrespected and disbelieved. If a victim, their disability may be seen to mitigate the offender’s guilt; if a perpetrator ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Section 12 - Other actions that could be taken by the Australian Government to protect LGBTI people in Australia - Addressing sexual orientation and sex and/or gender identity discrimination: Consultation Report (2011)
The consultation received a number of suggestions about other ways in which the Australian Government could protect the human rights of LGBTI people in Australia. Many participants argued that while anti-discrimination legislation is an important step towards equality, it is essential that it is accompanied by other actions. Suggestions were often informed by personal experiences of discrimination. -
14 December 2012Book page
Leading and influencing advocacy on human rights - Annual Report 2011-2012: Australian Human Rights Commission
The Commission has been working closely with the Attorney-General’s Department on all aspects of the Framework. In particular, we have provided input into the development of a National Human Rights Action Plan, human rights education initiatives, improved human rights protections including greater parliamentary scrutiny, and consolidation of federal discrimination laws. -
Rights and Freedoms22 March 2024Media Release
Waleed Aly joins line-up for landmark human rights forum
Presenter, journalist and academic Waleed Aly is among a raft of talent who have just been announced as speakers and panellists for the Free + Equal Human Rights Conference during this year’s Vivid Sydney festival. Mr Aly will join the line-up for the Rights On Time show on the evening of Thursday 6 June in the Hyatt Regency Grand Ballroom where he’ll panel through time with ‘sleek geek’ Adam ... -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
Presentation to State and Local Government CEO's (2009)
It's a great pleasure for me to be back in Perth , and particularly here at the Association For The Blind. During the eighties and nineties I lived in Perth for around ten years. I met and married my wife here, and still have strong family links. We still own property here and, if I have my way, we'll retire back here. Despite the fact that I have lived over East now for 16 years, I still barrack for the Eagles and the Western Warriors, and pronounce the suburb Coogee rather than Coogee. -
LGBTIQ+17 November 2014Project
SOGII Rights
Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Intersex Rights Final report released 10 June 2015. Read the full report: Resilient Individuals: Sexual Orientation Gender Identity & Intersex Rights 2015 Former Human Rights Commissioner, Tim Wilson, conducted consultations to explore key rights issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in Australia. These consultations ... -
Rights and Freedoms18 June 2013Webpage
Human rights based approaches
It would be deceiving the peoples of the world to let them think that a legal provision was all that was required ... when in fact an entire social structure had to be transformed : Rene Cassin, during the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Human rights based approaches are about turning human rights from purely legal instruments into effective policies, practices, and practical ... -
14 December 2012Book page
National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
Justice for Asylum Seekers (JAS) is a non-incorporated alliance of community organisations founded in 1999 to work for just treatment of people seeking asylum. It is based in Victoria, meets monthly and has three working groups: 1. Campaign, 2. Detention reform and 3. Lobbying. -
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, 2001). -
Sex Discrimination14 December 2012Publication
The Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
These resources have been developed as an update and revision of the Australian Human Rights Commission document, ‘Women of the World: Know Your International Human Rights’. -
Legal14 September 2015Submission
Inquiry into the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No.1) 2014
Download PDF Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The Control Order regime 2.1 Expanding the grounds for a control order 2.2 A less targeted proportionality analysis 2.3 Attorney-General's consent 1 Introduction 1. The Australian Human Rights Commission makes this brief submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (Committee) in its Inquiry into the Counter ...