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Rights and Freedoms

Urgent action needed following termination of UN inspection

The Australian Human Rights Commission says an extraordinary decision to terminate a tour of Australian places of detention by United Nations inspectors reflects Australia’s fragmented approach to protecting the human rights of people in detention.

Category, Story
Commission – General

Commission welcomes passage of new Bill to strengthen its independence

The Australian Human Rights Commission has welcomed the passage in the Senate today of the Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) Bill 2022. The Bill ensures Commissioner appointments are publicly advertised and subject to an open, transparent and merit...

Category, News
Commission – General

Commission urges passage of new Bill to strengthen integrity

The Australian Human Rights Commission is urging all federal parliamentarians to support the passage of the new Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) Bill 2022. Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM, has welcomed the introduction...

Category, News
Rights and Freedoms

Promoting and protecting human rights in Australia

The Australian Human Rights Commission: promoting and protecting human rights in Australia St Andrew’s College, University of Sydney, 14 July 2022 Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM FAAL Abstract This presentation explores the role of the Australian Human Rights Commission in the context of the...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Whither human rights and freedoms protections in Australia?

As I reflect on the past two years, it is clear that the pandemic has brought a renewed national focus on the importance of centralising considering rights and freedoms during times of crisis — a greater ‘rights consciousness’.

Category, Speech
Commission – General

Statement on international accreditation of the Australian Human Rights Commission

The Australian Human Rights Commission’s status as a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) has been reviewed by the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) – the international standards body. This review, conducted every five years, considers whether the Commission...

Category, Story
Rights and Freedoms

Enhancing human rights in a post-COVID world

The catalyst of a pandemic Women in Property lunch Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM Acknowledgement Thank you to the Property Council for inviting me to speak to you today—and particularly Jane Fitzgerald whose idea it was. Let me begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land...

Category, Speech
Rights and Freedoms

Loss of freedoms and rights has harmed us

OPINION November 18, 2021 Ronald Reagan famously said that “freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction”. For many Australians, until recently, freedom has been something we have largely been able to take for granted in our daily lives. But with millions...

Category, Opinion
Children's Rights

Proposal to raise the age does not go far enough

All 16 of Australia’s children’s commissioners, guardians and advocates say a commitment by state attorneys-general to develop a proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 12 does not go far enough. In a joint statement, Australian children’s commissioners, guardians and advocates said...

Category, News
Rights and Freedoms

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...

Category, Speech
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice

Return to country endangered by failure to invest

Covid-19 has triggered the most significant return to country by First Nations people since the homeland movement commenced in the 1960s. Thousands, like myself, returned to remote communities out of necessity. Facing the unknown, our family leaders who could made the courageous decision to gather...

Category, Opinion

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