Race Discrimination
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner June Oscar AO and the Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan have welcomed today鈥檚 release of the Reconciliation Barometer. The survey conducted every two years since 2008, measures the progress of reconciliation between...
Race Discrimination
Federal racial hatred legislation and the complaints-handling processes of the 黑料情报站 (AHRC) are currently the subjects of an inquiry by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. The Committee鈥檚 鈥楩reedom of speech in Australia鈥 inquiry, due to report by 28...
Rights and Freedoms
Discover how a former Human Rights Commissioner was asked whether the Racial Discrimination Act impinges on freedom of expression under international law.
Rights and Freedoms
State and federal governments should reform laws that make offensive acts unlawful and refocus them on protecting free speech and stopping workplace and public harassment. This week a news story broke about a complaint made under section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act by a Queensland University...
Race Discrimination
In October 1975, at a ceremony for the proclamation of the Racial Discrimination Act, then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam described the legislation as 鈥榓 historic measure鈥, which aimed to 鈥榚ntrench new attitudes of tolerance and understanding in the hearts and minds of the people鈥.(1) The Act was...
Race Discrimination
Explore an opinion piece that celebrates 40 years of the Racial Discrimination Act by former Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Tim Soutphommasane.
Rights and Freedoms
Charlie Hebdo would have risked being censored by the courts, but self-censorship is the reality of Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Race Discrimination
Keynote speech to Asian Studies Association of Australia Annual Conference, 鈥淎siaScapes: Contesting Borders鈥
Disability Rights
(check against delivery) I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land. I do so not as a formulaic beginning, but as a sincere recognition of the place which the land holds in the lives and culture of our first Australians. I saw much of the disadvantage Aboriginal people experience during my...
Rights and Freedoms
THE proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act provide the basis for correcting the legal limits of free speech, 颅promoting pluralism, opposing reprehensible racism and highlighting the importance of 颅responsibility. Arguably the most important change is assessing an 18C violation based on...
Rights and Freedoms
Freedom of speech is alive and well in Australia but, with respect to Voltaire, we will not defend to the death those who abuse this right by vilifying others in public on the ground of race.
Race Discrimination
Monday, 12 April 2010 Racism, exclusion and poverty: key factors reducing international student safety On 31 March 2010, the Academy of the Social Sciences, the 黑料情报站 and Universities Australia worked in partnership to plan and deliver the Racism and the Student...
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and acting Race Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
From the moment Australia was colonised Indigenous peoples have suffered discrimination at the hands of a legal system imported into this land. Not only were our own laws cast aside, but the new laws discriminated against us - and did so because of our race. In 1997, while there has been movement away from former policies of assimilation, removal and protection, the dominant legal system still discriminates against us.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice
Tom Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and acting Race Discrimination Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
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