President & Commissioners
Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Graeme Innes AM
Graeme Innes has been Australia's Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner for over three years.
As Commissioner, he has led or contributed to initiatives including:
- The Same sex: Same entitlements inquiry, achieving removal of discrimination against same sex couples and their children across federal law;
- Drafting of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and ratification by Australia;
- Three inspections of Australia's Immigration Detention facilities; and
- Development of a National Disability Strategy.
Graeme is a Lawyer, Mediator and Company Director. He has been a Human Rights Practitioner for almost 30 years in NSW, WA and nationally.
Graeme has been a Member of -
- the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal;
- the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal; and
- The Social Security Appeals Tribunal;
as well as a Hearing Commissioner with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Graeme was Chair of the Disability Advisory Council of Australia, and the first Chair of Vision Australia, Australia's national blindness agency. He has been one of Australia's delegates to the World Blind Union, and the President of its Asia-Pacific region.
Graeme has been a consultant on disability issues to organisations such as Westpac, Qantas, and Sydney Water. He has also been a Councillor on Ku-ring-gai Local Council.
In 1995, Graeme was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contribution to Australia's disability discrimination legislation. He was a finalist for Australian of the year in 2003.
Graeme is married with an adult son and a daughter in primary school. He enjoys cricket (as a spectator) and sailing (as a participant), and relaxes by drinking fine Australian white wine.
Also available:
Last updated November 25, 2008
