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Australian Human Rights Commission

August

Corrs Chambers Westgarth partners

Corrs pays premium for new partners amid string of high-profile exits

It has also emerged that the firm’s board, made up of current partners and a former partner, investigated and dismissed allegations of bullying and inappropriate conduct made at the start of the year.

  • Edmund Tadros
Andy Yin

Fear and loathing in the NSW Liberals

A preselection candidate has gone to the Federal Court, alleging he was rejected by the NSW branch for the last state election because of his race.

  • Max Mason and Myriam Robin

June

Cranbrook School is under intense scrutiny.

Former Cranbrook teacher sues school alleging unsafe environment

Sydney private school Cranbrook is dealing with a new legal action brought by a former teacher who alleges the environment was unsafe for female staff.

  • Updated
  • Max Mason and Julie Hare

May

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher, President, Australian Human Rights Commission, during a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House in Canberra on Friday.

‘Toxic’: Human rights watchdog at war with itself over Gaza

Race Discrimination commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said he needed “context” before he would condemn the phrase “from the river to the sea”, in a fiery Senate committee hearing.

  • Patrick Durkin
Concern is growing over the rise of antisemitism in Australia.

Human Rights Commission’s ‘silence deafening’ on antisemitism

Former regulator Graeme Samuel has taken aim at the Human Rights Commission for it’s ‘deafening silence’ on the rise of antisemitism.

  • Patrick Durkin and Andrew Tillett
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December 2023

Brittany Higgins received a $2.3 million payout from the government.

$400,000 for hurt and distress: Higgins’ government deal released

Brittany Higgins’ settlement deed with the Commonwealth of Australia has been released by a Sydney court, revealing the details of the government’s payment.

  • Sam Buckingham-Jones

November 2023

A Sydney jewellery shop has been ordered to pay a record $140,000 in general damages, plus further damages and costs.

Sydney jeweller hit with record sexual harassment damages

A Sydney jewellery shop and its owner have been ordered to pay more than $268,000 in damages after being found to have sexually harassed an employee.

  • Max Mason

August 2023

WeChat failed to answer for these very serious allegations by repeatedly refusing to appear before the committee.

Australia must de-weaponise TikTok and WeChat

A bipartisan report has made 17 recommendations – based on the liberal tradition of transparency, not censorship – to make Australia a harder target for malicious actors to interfere in our democracy through social media apps.

  • James Paterson

July 2023

History of legal privilege problems: PwC.

PwC claiming legal privilege – that’s a bit Rich

There have been legal professional privilege missteps at the troubled firm since 2005.

  • Michael Pelly

June 2023

 Paul Brereton says he “senses a tide in the affairs of the nation” with the advent of the NACC

New anti-corruption boss hails ‘unique opportunity’

Paul Brereton started as head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday. Could PwC be an early customer?

  • Michael Pelly

April 2023

Kate Jenkins achieved far more than she believed possible in her seven-year tenure as sex discrimination commissioner.

Kate Jenkins’ plan for her successor as sex discrimination commissioner

She says the #MeToo movement meant she achieved more in her seven years as commissioner than she would have believed possible.

  • Hannah Wootton

February 2023

Microsoft and Google are going head-to-head on their AI platforms, but they need real humans to make sure the bots don’t say horrific things.

Big tech is ignoring the human cost behind the rise of ChatGPT

To stop the chatbot serving up offensive responses, Microsoft-backed OpenAI had workers in Kenya vetting abhorrent material, and it paid them a pittance.

  • Lorraine Finlay, Patrick Hooton and Catriona Wallace

December 2022

Elli Baker, who alleges discrimination and breach of contract by Transgrid.

Transgrid denies discriminating against female executive

Transgrid has had to defend itself in court against discrimination claims by a woman executive beaten to a promotion by a man she claimed stared at her breasts.

  • Updated
  • Jemima Whyte

September 2022

The role of alcohol in a “work hard, play hard” office culture is disadvantageous and dangerous for women, says Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. 

Alcohol a major problem for women in the workplace: Jenkins

The role of alcohol in a “work hard, play hard” office culture is disadvantageous and dangerous for women, says Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins. 

  • Gus McCubbing

August 2022

Human Rights Commissioner Professor Rosalind Croucher.

Inside the Human Rights Commission crisis

Is it any wonder why politicians are so hostile to the Human Rights Commission?

  • Michael Roddan
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July 2022

[L-R] Workplace Safety Minister Ingrid Stitt, taskforce co-chairs Liberty Sanger and Bronwyn Halfpenny.

Victoria to curb ‘oppressive’ NDAs silencing sexual harassment victims

Victims of workplace sexual harassment, employers, unions and the legal profession will be consulted to build laws to stop misuse of non-disclosure agreements.

  • Max Mason

January 2022

Yang Hengjun has been detained since January 2019.

Concerns grow for health of Australian writer detained in China

The health of Yang Hengjun, an Australian detained in China on espionage charges three years ago, is said to be deteriorating.

  • Michael Smith

November 2021

CBA in $134m play to be ‘AI superpower’

Commonwealth Bank of Australia is taking on big tech with a $134 million funding round for leading artificial intelligence platform H20.ai.

  • Paul Smith and James Eyers

October 2021

Driving class actions reform: Attorney-General Michaelia Cash and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg.

The inconvenient truth about class actions

Stephen Conrad asks why the government is pushing a one-size-fits-all approach to class action reform.

  • Stephen Conrad

September 2021

Illegal child labour is still a concern.

Directors and shareholders get a warning on modern slavery

Renewed due diligence by Australian businesses is needed to better address exploitation and forced labour overseas, a report has cautioned.

  • Tom McIlroy

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/australian-human-rights-commission-1ly5