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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
7 July 2025Media ReleaseCoronial findings on Kumanjayi Walker’s death a powerful call for justice reform
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Katie Kiss, says the coronial findings into the death of Kumanjayi Walker in police custody are a painful, but powerful reminder of the urgent need for sweeping reform across police and justice systems to fully address ongoing injustices against First Peoples. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
24 June 2025Speech
Racial Justice Fundraising Dinner
Introduction: Country, Sovereignty, Truth Good evening, all. Ladies, gentlemen, distinguished guests. As a proud Kaanju, Birri/Widi Woman from North Queensland who grew up on the lands of the Darumbal People in Rockhampton, I acknowledge and pay my deepest respects to the Gadigal people of the Eora nation – the traditional custodians of the land on which we gather tonight. I honour their… -
Business and Human Rights
7 July 2025E-bulletin (Monthly)President's message | July 2025
Dear friends, Without truth there can be no justice. On Tuesday, the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s remarkable four-year journey ended with the publication of its final reports and public record. Yoorrook was the first formal truth-telling inquiry into injustices against First Peoples in Victoria. Led by four First Peoples Commissioners and a non-Indigenous Commissioner, it changed Victoria… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
2 July 2025Opinion piece
How my perspective as a non-Indigenous person was profoundly changed
In an an opinion piece for The Canberra Times, Commission President Hugh de Kretser reflects on how the truth-telling process can change the perspectives of non-Indigenous Australians like himself. It follows this week's publication of the final reports of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, the first formal truth-telling inquiry into injustices against First Peoples in Victoria. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
10 June 2025Speech
2025 AIATSIS Summit: Voices of Empowerment Strengthening our Future
This keynote speech, delivered on Larrakia Country by Commissioner Katie Kiss at the 2025 AIATSIS Summit calls for urgent reform of the Native Title system and implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to achieve true empowerment, justice, and self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
13 June 2025News story
We must end the national shame of Aboriginal deaths in custody
The President and all seven Commissioners of the Australian Human Rights Commission are united in our demand for immediate reform over the ongoing crisis of Aboriginal deaths in custody. -
Race Discrimination
18 June 2025Speech50th Anniversary of the Racial Discrimination Act - Whitlam Institute
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman gave the keynote for the Whitlam Institute's special event marking 50 years of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
8 May 2025Speech
UTS Centre for Indigenous People and Work Launch
Commissioner Katie Kiss launched the University of Technology Sydney's new Centre for Indigenous People and Work. -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
10 June 2025Speech
UNPFII Intervention #3 Monday 28 April 2025 Item 5 (d)
Item 5 (d) (continued) Human rights dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; annual review of progress on the implementation of general recommendation No. 39 (2022) -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
10 June 2025Speech
UNPFII Intervention #2 Friday 25 April 2025 Item 4
Item 4 Discussion on the six mandated areas of the Permanent Forum (economic and social development, culture, environment, education, health and human rights), with reference to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development -
Commission - General
17 June 2025Media ReleaseWho will be Australia’s 2025 human rights heroes?
The search is on to recognise Australia’s leading human rights defenders and advocates who strive to improve the lives of people across the country. Australia’s peak human rights body is calling for nominations for the Australian Human Rights Awards. The Australian Human Rights Commission is encouraging people to nominate people and organisations whose work inspires them. “The awards… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
2 June 2025Speech
Mabo Oration 2025 One Land – Two Laws – It’s Black and White
Acknowledgements Good evening, all Distinguished guests, Elders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family, community, friends and colleagues - and my family, children and grandchildren who are here tonight – particularly my sister Kerry who has travelled from Rockhampton to be here, and my Aunty Kathy – my mum’s sister and the matriarch of our family who travelled from Sydney. My name is… -
Rights and Freedoms
26 June 2025Opinion pieceAustralia’s torture failures must end
In an opinion piece published in The Mandarin, Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay decries Australia’s ongoing failures in torture protection. The piece was published on the 1989 anniversary of Australia signing up to the UN Convention Against Torture. -
Commission - General
4 June 2025Speech
Financial Counselling Australia Conference
Hugh de Kretser discusses the importance of truth telling, what he learned working at the Yoorrook Justice Commission, human rights values and the need for Human Rights Acts. -
Race Discrimination
11 June 2025Media Release
Commission marks 50 years of Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act
Today marks 50 years since the passage of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA) through the Australian Parliament. -
Race Discrimination
11 June 2025Opinion piece
The key to ending racism? It's right here in these PMs' speeches
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman reflects on how two speeches from two Prime Ministers, half a century apart, hold the key to ending racism. It comes at a significant marker in Australia’s history, fifty years since the Racial Discrimination Act came into effect. -
Commission - General
11 June 2025E-bulletin (Monthly)
President's message | June 2025
We must end the practice of police investigating police deaths in custody Two recent Aboriginal deaths in custody in the Northern Territory have again raised questions about the treatment of First Nations people in Australia’s criminal justice systems. Kumanjayi White, a 24 year-old Warlpiri man with disability, died in Alice Springs on 27 May after being restrained by police on the floor of… -
Commission - General
13 May 2025E-bulletin (Monthly)
President's message | May 2025
Cost of living issues are human rights issues Someone said to me just before election day that human rights hadn’t featured much in the federal election campaign. It’s true that the words “human rights” didn’t feature much - but human rights issues did. This was an election about the cost of living in Australia and human rights has a lot to say about that. Australia has promised to protect… -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
14 April 2025Speech
Coalition of Peaks Assembly on Closing the Gap
Day 2- National Anti-Racism Framework and any other work she is doing that aligns with Priority Reform 3 of the Closing the Gap Agreement Wednesday 2 April 2025 - QT Hotel Canberra -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
14 April 2025Speech
Coalition of Peaks Assembly on Closing the Gap
Day 2- National Anti-Racism Framework and any other work she is doing that aligns with Priority Reform 3 of the Closing the Gap Agreement Wednesday 2 April 2025 - QT Hotel Canberra