Australian Government: Attorney-General's Department
Australian Government: Attorney-General's DepartmentAchieving a Just and Secure Society

Human Rights Branch

The Human Rights Branch provides legal and policy advice to the Australian Government on:

  • domestic human rights matters
  • anti-discrimination legislation, and
  • implementation of international human rights obligations.

The Branch also has a policy advising role and administrative responsibilities for the:

  • Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, and
  • the Australian Law Reform Commission.

Our areas of responsibility

The Human Rights Branch provides legal and policy advice to the Government in the following areas.

Anti-discrimination law and policy

  • Legal and policy information on matters arising under the:
    • Age Discrimination Act 2004
    • Disability Discrimination Act 1992
    • Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986
    • Racial Discrimination Act 1975, and the
    • Sex Discrimination Act 1984
  • administration and review of these Acts as required, and
  • development of standards under the Disability Discrimination Act concerning access to premises, public transport and education.

Domestic human rights matters generally

  • age discrimination
  • disability discrimination
  • human rights issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
  • human rights issues affecting children
  • racial and religious discrimination matters
  • sex discrimination
  • sexual preference, sexual identity and gender issues
  • policy and legal issues relating to the domestic implementation of international human rights instruments to which Australia is party
  • participation in Australia’s delegation to the UN on an International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
  • some domestic responsibilities relating to the Conventions on the Rights of the Child, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.
  • domestic aspects of the human rights dialogues with China, Vietnam and Iran and the Human Rights Technical Cooperation programs with China, Indonesia and Vietnam, and
  • the Attorney-General’s Non-Government Organisation (NGO) forum on domestic human rights.

Australian Law Reform Commission

  • matters relating to the Australia Law Reform Commission Act 1996 and its administration
  • administration of the Commission including appointments and terms and conditions applying to the President and Commissioners
  • references from the Attorney-General regarding Commission inquiries, and
  • tabling of Commission reports.

Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission

  • matters arising under the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act
  • administration of the Commission including appointments and terms and conditions applying to the President and Commissioners
  • references from the Attorney-General regarding Commission inquiries, and
  • tabling of Commission reports.

Legislation for which we are responsible