Australian Human Rights Commission
Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee, 18 September 2017
47.
The Commission commends the establishment of an eSafety Commissioner.46
The eSafety Commissioner’s role initially focused on cyberbullying of young
people, but has since expanded to include improving the digital confidence
and skills of senior Australians, and establishing a national online complaints
mechanism.47 The Government has also committed to undertaking a
prevalence study. A scoping study has already been undertaken and a tender
has been issued.
Recommendation 13: That the Australian Government implement
recommendations from the ALRC’s report Elder Abuse—A National
Legal Response and continue to work towards the development of a
national plan to tackle elder abuse.
Access to work (ICCPR articles 2 & 25(c))
48.
49.
In the Willing to Work National Inquiry into Employment Discrimination against
Older Australians and Australians with Disability (Willing to Work Report),48 the
Commission reported:
In 2015, 27% of people over the age of 50 had recently experienced
discrimination in the workplace.49
In 2015, 53.4% of people with disability were participating in the labour
force, compared to 83.2% of people without disability.50
There has been no formal Government response to the Willing to Work Report
and no Government-led action plan to implement its recommendations.
Recommendation 14: That the Australian Government implement the
recommendations in the Willing to Work Report to reduce employment
discrimination against older Australians and Australians with disability.
7
People with disability
Prisoners and mental health (ICCPR articles 2, 9 & 10;
LOI 17)
50.
People with disability have disproportionately high rates of interaction with the
criminal justice system and are significantly overrepresented in Australia’s
prison population.51 Necessary supports and adjustments for people with
disability are frequently not provided in the criminal justice system.52
51.
The Commission commends the Government on its commitment to improve
the way the criminal justice system treats people with cognitive disability who
are unfit to plead or found not guilty due to mental impairment,53 and to
analyse existing data and develop best practice resources in Australia.
52.
The Commission notes that implementation of OPCAT will provide for
improved monitoring of conditions of detention for people with disability.
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