Australian Human Rights Commission


The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of Australia, 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 is responsible for investigating alleged infringements of Australia's anti-discrimination legislation in relation to federal agencies. 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, colour or ethnic origin, age, sex or gender, sexual harassment, marital or relationship status, sexual orientation, gender identity, intersex status, care 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:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Marcus EinfeldPresident, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission19861990
2Ronald WilsonPresident, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission19901998
3Alice TayPresident, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission19982003
4John von DoussaPresident, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission20032008
5Catherine BransonPresident, Australian Human Rights Commission20082012
6Gillian TriggsPresident, Australian Human Rights Commission20122017
7Ros CroucherPresident, Australian Human Rights Commission2017present

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Mick DodsonAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner19931998
2Zita AntoniosAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner19981999
3Bill JonasAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner19992004
4Tom CalmaAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner20042010
5Mick GoodaAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner20102016
5June OscarAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner2016present

Disability Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Disability Discrimination Commissioners:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Elizabeth HastingsDisability Discrimination Commissioner19931997
2Chris SidotiDisability Discrimination Commissioner1998
3Susan HallidayDisability Discrimination Commissioner1999
4Sev OzdowskiDisability Discrimination Commissioner20002005
5Graeme InnesDisability Discrimination Commissioner20052014
6Susan RyanDisability Discrimination Commissioner20142016
7Alastair McEwinDisability Discrimination Commissioner20162019
8Ben GauntlettDisability Discrimination Commissioner2019present

Human Rights Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Human Rights Commissioner:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Brian BurdekinHuman Rights Commissioner19861994
2Chris SidotiHuman Rights Commissioner19952000
3Sev OzdowskiHuman Rights Commissioner20002005
4Graeme InnesHuman Rights Commissioner20052009
5Catherine BransonHuman Rights Commissioner20092012
6Tim WilsonHuman Rights Commissioner20132016
7Edward SantowHuman Rights Commissioner2016present

Race Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Race Discrimination Commissioner:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Irene MossRace Discrimination Commissioner19861994
2Zita AntoniosRace Discrimination Commissioner19941999
3Bill JonasRace Discrimination Commissioner19992004
4Tom CalmaRace Discrimination Commissioner20042009
5Graeme InnesRace Discrimination Commissioner20092011
6Helen SzokeRace Discrimination Commissioner20112013
7Gillian TriggsRace Discrimination Commissioner2013
8Tim SoutphommasaneRace Discrimination Commissioner20132018
9Chin TanRace Discrimination Commissioner2018present

Sex Discrimination Commissioners

The following individuals have been appointed as a Sex Discrimination Commissioner:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Pam O'NeilSex Discrimination Commissioner19841988
2Quentin BryceSex Discrimination Commissioner19881993
3Susan WalpoleSex Discrimination Commissioner19931997
4Moira ScollaySex Discrimination Commissioner19971998
5Susan HallidaySex Discrimination Commissioner19982001
6Pru GowardSex Discrimination Commissioner20012007
7John von DoussaSex Discrimination Commissioner2007
8Elizabeth BroderickSex Discrimination Commissioner20072015
9Kate JenkinsSex Discrimination Commissioner2016present

Age Discrimination Commissioner

The following individuals have been appointed as an Age Discrimination Commissioner, or precedent titles:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Pru GowardCommissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination20052007
2John von DoussaCommissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination2007
3Elizabeth BroderickCommissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination20072011
4Susan RyanAge Discrimination Commissioner20112016
5Kay PattersonAge Discrimination Commissioner2016present

National Children's Commissioner

The following individuals have been appointed as a National Children's Commissioner:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Megan MitchellNational Children's Commissioner2013present

Privacy Commissioner

The following have served as Privacy Commissioner, initially at HREOC and then at two other Offices:
OrderOfficialOfficial titleTerm
1Kevin O’Connor, AMPrivacy Commissioner 19891996
2Moira ScollayPrivacy Commissioner 19971999
3Malcolm CromptonPrivacy Commissioner 19992004
4Karen CurtisPrivacy Commissioner 20042010
5Timothy Pilgrim PSMPrivacy Commissioner ;
Acting Australian Information Commissioner 		2010present

On 1 January 1989 the Privacy Act 1988 established the Privacy Commissioner within the Commission. The Privacy Commissioner continued in the Commission until 1 July 2000, when a new Office of the Privacy Commissioner was established by the federal Parliament, and the Privacy Commissioner was separated from the Commission.
In 2010, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner was established and the previously independent Office of the Privacy Commissioner was subsumed into it. The Privacy Commissioner now came under the supervision of the new Australian Information Commissioner, who could exercise the Privacy Commissioner's powers.
From 2014, the incoming Australian government under PM Tony Abbott attempted to abolish the OAIC, succeeding in having the Australian Information Commissioner unexpectedly retire early and FOI Commissioner resign, and cutting OAIC's budget. But the Senate failed to pass the necessary legislation. Several former judges suggested this pursuit of the abolition of a body created by Parliament without its support for that abolition raises constitutional and rule of law concerns. Then-Privacy Commissioner Pilgrim was appointed Acting Australian Information Commissioner in July 2015 for three months, filling all three OAIC roles on a part-time basis and the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 ). He was reappointed as Acting Australian Information Commissioner in October 2015 , and again on 19 January 2016 .
In early 2016, it remained unclear whether the Privacy Commissioner role would be returned to the Commission if the abolition of the OAIC were to succeed.
On 18 March 2016, the Commonwealth Attorney-General advertised for expressions of interest in the positions, to commence in July, of Age Discrimination Commissioner, Disability Discrimination Commissioner and Human Rights Commissioner.

Legislation

The Commission investigates alleged infringements under the following federal legislation:
From its introduction until 2000 the Commission also hosted the Commissioner administering:
One of the more visible functions of the Commission is to conduct public inquiries. Some examples of inquires conducted include:
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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 was 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 Bill 2013 with overwhelming support in both houses and became law from Royal Assent three days later by the Governor-General. It 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 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.

International status

The Commission is one of some 70 national human rights institutions accredited by the International Co-ordinating Committee of NHRIs, a body sponsored by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 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 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.