Australian Human Rights Commission

"Equal Opportunity Commission" redirects here. For the United States's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, see Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Australian Human Rights Commission

Statutory authority overview
Formed	1986
Preceding Statutory authority	Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Jurisdiction	Commonwealth of Australia
Headquarters	Sydney
Minister responsible	George Brandis, MP , Attorney-General of Australia
Statutory authority executives	Professor Gillian Triggs, President, Australian Human Rights Commission Mick Gooda, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Graeme Innes, AM , Disability Discrimination Commissioner Tim Wilson, Human Rights Commissioner Dr Tim Soutphommasane, Race Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner The Hon. Susan Ryan, AO , Age Discrimination Commissioner Megan Mitchell, National Children's Commissioner Tim Wilson, Free Speech Commissioner
Key documents	Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth) Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth)
Website	humanrights.gov.au

The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia's anti-discrimination legislation. Matters that can be investigated by the Commission under the Australian Human Rights Commission Regulations 1989 include "discrimination on the grounds of race or nationality, religious, colour or ethnic origin, racial vilification, age, sex or gender, sexual harassment, marital or relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, actual or potential pregnancy, breastfeeding, trade union activity, criminal record, medical record, impairment or physical disability".

Commission officebearers

The Commission falls under the portfolio of the Attorney-General of Australia.

Commission presidents

The following individuals have been appointed as President of the Human Rights Commission, and its precedent organisation:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Hon. Justice Marcus Einfeld, QC	President, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission	1986–1990
2	Sir Ronald Wilson, AC, KBE, CMG, QC, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,		1990–1998
3	Professor Alice Tay, AM		1998–2003
4	Hon. Justice John von Doussa, AO, QC, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,		2003–2008
5	The Hon. Catherine Branson, QC	President, Australian Human Rights Commission	2008–2012
6	Professor Gillian Triggs		2012–present

Einfield was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1997. However, his commission was revoked on 26 November 2008.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Mick Dodson, AM	Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner	1993–1998
2	Zita Antonios		1998–1999 (acting)
3	Dr Bil Jonas, AM		1999–2004
4	Tom Calma, AO		2004–2010
5	Mick Gooda		2010–present

Disability Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Disability Discrimination Commissioners:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Elizabeth Hastings	Disability Discrimination Commissioner	1993–1997
2	Chris Sidoti		1998 (acting)
3	Susan Halliday		1999 (acting)
4	Dr Sev Ozdowski, OAM		2000–2005 (acting)
5	Graeme Innes, AM		2005–2014

Human Rights Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Human Rights Commissioner:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Brian Burdekin, AO	Human Rights Commissioner	1986–1994
2	Chris Sidoti		1995–2000
3	Dr Sev Ozdowski, OAM		2000–2005
4	Graeme Innes, AM		2005–2009
5	The Hon. Catherine Branson, QC		2009–2012
6	Tim Wilson		2013–Present

Race Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Race Discrimination Commissioner:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Irene Moss, AO	Race Discrimination Commissioner	1986–1994
2	Zita Antonios		1994–1999
3	Dr Bill Jonas, AM		1999–2004 (acting)
4	Tom Calma, AO		2004–2009
5	Graeme Innes, AM		2009–2011
6	Dr Helen Szoke		2011–2013
7	Professor Gillian Triggs		2013 (acting)
8	Dr Tim Soutphommasane		2013–present

Sex Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Sex Discrimination Commissioner:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Pam O'Neill	Sex Discrimination Commissioner	1984–1988
2	Quentin Bryce, AC		1988–1993
3	Susan Walpole		1993–1997
4	Moira Scollay		1997–1998 (acting)
5	Susan Halliday		1998–2001
6	Pru Goward		2001–2007
7	Hon. Justice John von Doussa, AO, QC, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,		2007 (acting)
8	Elizabeth Broderick		2007–2015

Age Discrimination Commissioner

The following individuals have been appointed as an Age Discrimination Commissioner, or precedent titles:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Pru Goward	Commissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination	2005–2007
2	Hon. Justice John von Doussa, AO, QC, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,		2007 (acting)
3	Elizabeth Broderick		2007–2011
4	The Hon. Susan Ryan, AO	Age Discrimination Commissioner	2011–present

National Children's Commissioner

The following individuals have been appointed as a National Children's Commissioner:

Order	Official	Official title	Term
1	Megan Mitchell	National Children's Commissioner	2013–present

Legislation

The Commission investigates alleged infringements under the following federal legislation:

• Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)
• Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth)
• Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
• Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth)
• Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 (Cth) (formerly Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986)

Public inquiries

One of the more visible functions of the Commission is to conduct public inquiries. Some examples of inquires conducted include:

• Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry into financial and workplace discrimination against same-sex couples
• Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families
• National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention (2004)
• National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention (2014)-ongoing As of 9 January 2014
• Homeless Children Inquiry
• Pregnancy Discrimination Inquiry
• Inquiry into the Accessibility of electronic commerce and new service and information technologies for older Australians and people with a disability
• Inquiry into Human Rights and Good Governance Education in the Asia Pacific Region

Gender identity and sexuality

Private members bills introduced from both the Australian Greens and the Australian Democrats have tried to add sexuality and/or gender identity to the list of matters that can be investigated by the Commission, which has always failed to pass at least one house of parliament since 1995, because of a lack of support from both the Australian Labor Party and the Coalition in the federal parliament.

In late 2010, the Gillard Labor Government announced that it is undertaking a review of federal anti-discrimination laws, with the aim of introducing a single equality act that would include sexual orientation and gender identity. This was abandoned and instead the Gillard Labor Government introduced another bill – which is mentioned below.

On 25 June 2013, the Australian Federal Parliament passed the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013 with overwhelming support in both houses and became law from Royal Assent three days later by the Governor-General. Then became effective from 1 August 2013, making discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, transgender and for the first time in the world, Intersex people illegal at a national level. Aged care providers who are owned by religious groups will no longer be able to exclude people from aged care services based on their LGBTI or same-sex relationship status. However, religious owned private schools and religious owned hospitals are exempt from gender identity and sexual orientation provisions in the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013. No religious exemptions exist on the basis of intersex status.

Human Rights Awards and Medals

Since 1987 the Human Rights Awards have been presented at the Commission's annual Human Rights Medal and Awards ceremony.

The Human Rights Medal is the highest award of the Human Rights Awards to individuals "for their outstanding contribution to human rights in Australia".

In 2008 the Young People's Human Rights Medal was awarded for the first time.

Other awards are:

• Human Rights Community (Individual) Award.
• Human Rights Community (Organisation) Award.
• Human Rights Radio Award
• Human Rights Television Award
• Human Rights Print Media Award
• Human Rights Arts Non-Fiction Award
• Human Rights Law Award – sponsored by the Law Council of Australia

International status

The Commission is one of some 70 national human rights institutions (NHRIs) accredited by the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs (ICC), a body sponsored by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The Commission's "A status" accreditation allows it special access to the United Nations human rights system, including speaking rights at the Human Rights Council and other committees. The Commission can present parallel reports ("shadow reports") to UN treaty committees examining Australia's compliance with international human rights instruments. It has been very active in developing NHRIs throughout the Asia-Pacific region, and is a leading member of the Asia Pacific Forum of NHRIs, one of four regional sub-groups of NHRIs.

See also

• Human Rights Commission

External links

• The Australian Human Rights Commission website

• [1]
• Australian DemocratsAustralian Democrats Press Releases
• Red Book plan a step towards gay marriage, The Australian, 15 December 2010
• Australian Parliament, Explanatory Memorandum to the Sex Discrimination Amendment (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Intersex Status) Bill 2013, 2013
• Australia outlaws LGBT discrimination under national laws for first time, 25 June 2013