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14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2008 - Chapter 5
Climate change has been regarded as a diabolical policy problem globally. The potential threat to the very existence of Indigenous peoples is compounded by legal and institutional barriers raise distinct challenges for our cultures, our lands and our resources.[1] More seriously, it poses a threat to the health, cultures and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples both here in Australia and around the world. -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2008 - Case Study 2
The landscape of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) is under severe ecological stress. Issues such as salinity, poor water quality, stressed forests, dried wetlands, threatened native species, feral animals and noxious weeds are commonplace within the MDB. The reasons for this dramatic decline in river health are caused by water mismanagement including reversal of natural flow cycles and over allocation of water licences. Generations of bad farm practices such as deforestation have also played a major role in the ecological disaster that is the MDB.[1] -
Rights and Freedoms14 March 2024Speech
The 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 ... -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 2: Constitutional reform: Creating a nation for all of us - Social Justice Report 2010
A century ago, the Australian people engaged in a debate about creating a nation. They held meetings...They wrote articles and letters in newspapers. Many views were canvassed and voices were heard. The separate colonies, having divided up the land between them, discussed ways of sharing powers in order to achieve a vision of a united Australia. The result was the Australian Constitution, establishing the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2006: Chapter 2: Economic Development Reforms on Indigenous land
In 2006 the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet made a revealing statement about Indigenous affairs. He argued that his own government’s policy performance in the Indigenous portfolio had been a failure. He went further to say that while well intentioned, the policies and approaches of the past 30 years had contributed to poor outcomes for Indigenous people. -
Legal30 January 2019Submission
Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018
1. Executive summary The Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) makes this submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, in response to its review of the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 (Cth) (the Bill). The Explanatory Memorandum states that the purpose of the Bill is to introduce measures to allow ... -
14 December 2012Book page
2010 Immigration detention on Christmas Island
This report contains a summary of observations made by the Australian Human Rights Commission (the Commission) during its 2010 visit to the immigration detention facilities on Christmas Island. -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2008 - Chapter 2
In my Native Title Report 2007, I reported on the changes that were made to the native title system during that year. The changes, which were made through two pieces of legislation which amended the Native Title Act, primarily affected: -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 3: From community crisis to community control in the Fitzroy Valley - Social Justice Report 2010
It is a story of colonisation; the threat of losing our cultural authority to manage our societies; and the despair that has come from that disempowerment. It is a story of grief and trauma and the continued pain of living with grog, drug and violence. -
Rights and Freedoms1 August 2019Publication
Discussion paper: Priorities for federal discrimination law reform
This paper sets out the Commission’s preliminary views on the priorities for federal discrimination law reform. It identifies the need for reform, the principles that should guide it, and the 11 major priority areas for reform to ensure effective protection against discrimination at the federal level. -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
National Disability Strategies as tools for implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Summary: Australia’s National Disability Strategy provides a framework for implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons and for means for enhancing reporting under the Convention. Further development and implementation of the NDS should be informed by the Committee’s reporting guidelines and by the dialogue between the Australian Government and the Committee in considering Australia’s reports. Some enhancements to the reporting guidelines may also be helpful. -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2007: Chapter 1
Native title is now well established in Australian law. The native title system was set up in 1994 under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (the Native Title Act). It is for gaining recognition and protection of native title, and for resolving native title matters. It has been successfully used in many parts of the country. -
Disability Rights14 December 2012Speech
Is there a slow lane on the information superhighway?
The title I have taken for these remarks is "Is there a slow lane on the information superhighway". I fear that by now there may already be something dated or quaint in using the term "information superhighway". I am going to use it anyway, and perhaps make matters of style worse by adding reference to a slow lane, because I think a few important issues are suggested by this title. -
14 December 2012Book page
Social Justice Report 2006: Chapter 3: Addressing the fundamental flaw of the new arrangements for Indigenous affairs – the absence of principled engagement with Indigenous peoples
This is the third successive Social Justice Report to report on the implementation of the new arrangements for Indigenous affairs at the federal government level. The past two Social Justice Reports have emphasised the importance of governments ensuring the effective participation of Indigenous peoples in decision making that affects our lives. This includes the development of policy, program delivery and monitoring by governments at the national, as well as state, regional and local levels. -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2003 : Chapter 2 : Native Title Policy - State and Commonwealth profiles
Human rights principles require that Indigenous people's relationships to land, based on traditional laws and customs, be given legal recognition and protection. International legal principles also recognise that Indigenous peoples have economic, social and cultural human rights. Native title, as it is constructed through the Australian legal system, has a limited capacity to meet these human rights standards. -
14 December 2012Book page
Chapter 2: Lateral violence in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities - Social Justice Report 2011
Last year I set out my priorities for my term as Social Justice Commissioner.[1] My priorities revolve around the central idea that to address the disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and build a more reconciled nation, we need to develop stronger and deeper relationships: -
14 December 2012Book page
Native Title Report 2009: Chapter 3
In my previous two Native Title Reports, I have strongly argued the need to reform the native title system. Stakeholders from all sectors engaged in the native title system have also stressed the need for the Government to take significant steps to ensure that the system meets the original objectives set out in the preamble to the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) (Native Title Act). -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice1 June 2021Speech
Truth for change - Reckoning with our past and transforming our nation
This was the keynote address at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies conference, 2021. Good morning everyone. I acknowledge the Kaurna peoples whose lands we gather on for this conference—I pay my respects to your elders, past, present and emerging. I also acknowledge all our peoples who have come from countries—First Nations—from across this vast continent ... -
Legal14 December 2012Webpage
Submission - Inquiry into Older People and the Law (2006)
ADA: Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cwth) CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women DDA: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwth) EOWA: Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency HREOC: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission HREOCA: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986 (Cwth) Older people: People aged over 65 years RDA: & -
Rights and Freedoms4 February 2019Speech
Roles, responsibilities and challenges
The Australian Human Rights Commission—roles, responsibilities and challenges Supreme and Federal Court Judges’ Conference 2019 Hobart, 22 January 2019 Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM [Professor Croucher spoke to this paper] Introduction I begin my presentation by acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land, and pay my respect to the elders, past, present, and emerging. Thank you ...