Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986
The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 came in after Australia signed the following United Nations conventions:
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
- Declaration on the Rights of the Child
- Declaration on the Rights of Mentally Retarded Persons
- Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons.
and the International Labour Organization's:
- Convention 111, concerning discrimination in employment and occupation
- Convention 156, concerning workers with family responsibilities.
This Act makes it unlawful to discriminate against people because of their:
- race
- colour
- sex
- religion
- political opinion (in employment only)
- national extraction or social origin
- age
- medical record
- irrelevant criminal record (in employment only)
- impairment
- marital status
- mental, intellectual or psychiatric disability
- nationality
- physical disability
- sexual preference (in employment only)
- trade union activity (in employment only).
Complaints made under the Act should be made to the Australian Human Rights Commission.