Bringing rights home: the case to modernise federal discrimination law

Please use this link to join the webinar at 11am (AEDT), Friday 10 December: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81399949934

How can our legal system best protect people from discrimination? As debates continue about proposed religious discrimination laws, it’s also worth asking: are broader changes to Australia’s legal framework around discrimination required?

Join Australian Human Rights Commission President, Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM for the 2021 Human Rights Day Oration – Bringing rights home: the case to modernise federal discrimination law.

Professor Croucher will introduce the Commission’s latest discrimination law reform position paper as part of the Free and Equal: An Australian conversation on human rights project.

The position paper sets a reform agenda for federal discrimination laws, outlining recommendations across four major reform areas:

1. Building a preventative culture
2. Modernising the regulatory framework
3. Enhancing access to justice
4. Improving the practical operation of laws

Professor Croucher will be introduced by the Commission’s newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Leanne Smith. Following the oration, the Commission’s Deputy General Counsel, Graeme Edgerton, will join Professor Croucher in conversation as they discuss the position paper in more detail.

Free and Equal

The Australian Human Rights Commission is currently completing the Free and Equal: An Australian conversation on human rights major project.

The purpose of Free and Equal is to:

• Promote awareness of the importance of human rights to 21st century Australia
• Identify current limitations and barriers to better discrimination law and human rights protections
• Identify what key principles should underpin the reform of discrimination law and human rights in Australia
• Build agreement across the Parliament, government and the community about what we can do collectively to better promote, protect and fulfil human rights
• Set a reform agenda with recommendations to improve and strengthen anti-discrimination and human rights law protections in Australia. 
  

The position paper launched at this event is the culmination of an extensive national consultation process on discrimination law reform.

For more information and to download the Free and Equal papers, visit humanrights.gov.au/free-and-equal

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM is President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Rosalind commenced her seven-year term as Commission President on 30 July 2017.

Prior to joining the Commission, Rosalind was President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (2009–2017) and Commissioner (2006–2009), where she led a number of significant law reform inquiries, including on Client Legal Privilege, Secrecy Laws, Family Violence, Discovery, Age Barriers to Work, Disability Laws, Encroachment on Freedoms in Commonwealth Laws and Elder Abuse. As President she also oversaw inquiries such as Native Title, Copyright and Serious Invasions of Privacy.

Leanne Smith

Leanne Smith was appointed as the Australian Human Rights Commission’s new chief executive on 22 September 2021. Leanne brings to the role extensive experience in human rights and public policy. She first worked for the Commission as a project policy officer in 1998-1999, and then pursued a career first as an Australian diplomat and subsequently with the UN.

Leanne’s previous experience includes the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Programme, and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

Prior to commencing at the Australian Human Rights Commission, Leanne held the position of Executive Director of the Whitlam Institute within Western Sydney University.

Graeme Edgerton

Graeme Edgerton is the Deputy General Counsel of the Australian Human Rights Commission and has worked at the Commission since 2011. Graeme is responsible for managing the Commission’s interventions in court proceedings. Recent cases have focused on issues relating to public housing in remote Aboriginal communities, access to hormonal treatment for transgender children, and the rights of asylum seekers.

Prior to joining the Commission, Graeme was in private practice as a competition and regulatory lawyer with a strong pro bono focus, particularly in asylum seeker litigation.