Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth)

• Racial discrimination law, remedies, reform and the Racial Justice Centre

  25th May 2023

  ‘The present political landscape in Australia offers an opportunity for the overhaul of the existing racial discrimination law,’ writes Des Kennedy SC. ‘Legislative provisions are in urgent need of reform, change, rejuvenation and expansion to better achieve racial justice in our society … Public awareness and educative campaigns are important, but law reform is critical. This will give effect to the Labor Party’s commitment to combating racism and its impacts, and its condemnation of racism without reservation.’

• Rethinking access to racial justice

  12th Nov 2020

  Despite initial expectations, race discrimination laws have not made as strong a contribution as they might have to First Nations peoples, partly due to problems relating to access to justice and, in particular, the under-utilisation of anti-discrimination legal remedies.

  Dr Fiona Allison and Jodie Luck discuss potential solutions which include reform of the mainstream legal system informed by First Nations peoples’ needs and perspectives, and support of community-led responses to racism, including those likely to increase awareness of legal rights.

• Aboriginal group launches defamation case against Channel 7

  11th Jul 2019

  Peter O’Brien represents a group of clients from the NT community of Yirrkala, who are suing Channel 7 in the Federal Court following a segment that was broadcast on Sunrise Breakfast. In June, Channel 7 attempted that argue that the community members’ Statement of Claim should be struck out.

• Racism is bad for business

  23rd Mar 2017

  Proposals in the parliamentary committee report on s18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) to limit access to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) should be resisted.