Legal Rights and Responsibilities of Australian Citizens

There are also a number of federal laws designed to protect individuals from discrimination and human rights violations. These include persons with disabilities covered by the Human Rights Covenants by referring to the rights of „all persons“ and without discrimination „of any kind“, including on the basis of „any other status“. State and territory governments also have a responsibility to fulfil Australia`s human rights responsibilities. State governments have the power to enact and administer many human rights laws, such as justice, health and education laws. To ensure that human rights standards contained in international treaties are respected and enforceable in Australia, the government must introduce them into domestic law. This process is called ratification. Once international human rights standards are protected in domestic law, the Australian judicial system can ensure that they are protected and cannot be overridden by state or territorial legislation contrary to the Treaty. The Convention on the Rights of the Child deals in detail with a wide range of human rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Australia is a party to seven of the most important human rights treaties: Australia has a strong and proud human rights record. However, this record is not perfect.

Some people are deprived of their human rights because of their skin colour, race, sex, sexuality, disability or any other aspect of their identity. Scroll down to consider the following questions: Australia has also ratified three of the mechanisms that give individuals the right to complain directly to UN bodies about violations of their rights. All these daily activities depend on the adequate protection of your human rights and the rights of others. The following is an overview of rights and freedoms based on documents prepared by the Office of the Attorney General in consultation with the Australian Human Rights Commission. In the following quote, former Social Justice Commissioner Mick Dodson spoke about what human rights in Australia mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. He used the term „social justice“, but he could just as easily have referred to human rights in general: with the development of new international standards, Australia has either endorsed non-binding human rights instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, sign and ratify binding legal instruments such as international human rights treaties. Australia has been an active participant in the development of international human rights standards in the past. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples sets out the rights of indigenous peoples. Detailed information is available in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice section of this website.

In addition to the efforts of the Australian Government, the Australian Human Rights Commission is responsible for monitoring and reporting on the protection of human rights in Australia. Learn more about the work of the Australian Human Rights Commission. When Australians think about human rights, we often focus on violations that occur in other countries. Human rights are understood as problems such as political dictatorship, torture or illegal killings. Sometimes such violations occur on a large scale overseas, and there is a tendency to think that, by comparison, all human rights issues in Australia are minor. However, human rights violations of one kind or another occur in all countries, including Australia. Existing human rights treaties apply to all persons and cover human rights issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex people. As a federation of states with a Westminster system of government, Australia`s human rights system has evolved over the 100 years since federation according to its own unique history and parallel to the international human rights system. Everyone has a responsibility to respect the human rights of others. In Australia, the Australian government has a special responsibility to ensure that human rights are protected. Certain groups in Australia are particularly vulnerable to human rights violations. These include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, asylum seekers, migrants of non-English speaking origin, people living in poverty, people with disabilities and other groups.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities deals in detail with a wide range of rights, including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. It confirms that these rights apply to persons with disabilities; explain in more detail what certain rights mean in relation to disability (e.g., accessibility and independent living); and sets out the obligations of Governments in more detail than other human rights instruments. Existing human rights treaties apply legally to older persons because they recognize the rights of „all“ individuals and without „any“ discrimination. Good question. Rights are a key principle of Australia`s democratic system of government. Our rights come from a number of sources, including international law, common law and statutory law. Human rights issues can affect anyone. Some people may experience discrimination in the workplace because of their age, race or gender. Other people with different sexual orientations or gender identities may be bullied because of the way they express themselves or who attracts them. Children and youth may be exposed to violence on the playground or at home.

Regardless of a person`s status in society, he or a member of his family may be affected by a violation of his human rights at some point in his life. In addition to the general requirements of non-discrimination set out in article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, article 3 of both Covenants requires Parties to ensure and promote the equal enjoyment of women`s rights. These rights and requirements are specified in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Our human rights system is found in: Human rights are an important part of our lives. In fact, they are so much a part of everyday life that we often take them for granted. If you want to know more about the responsibilities of Australian citizenship, take a look at the Department of Home Affairs` information on Australian citizenship. For more information, visit the Sexuality, Gender and Gender Identity section of this website. Non-commercial – You may not use this work for commercial purposes.

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