Australian Human Rights Commission
Submission to the UN Human Rights Committee, 18 September 2017
and administrators, social security, health and criminal justice responses. See Australian Law Reform
Commission, Elder Abuse – A National Legal Response (Final Report), Report No 131 (31 May 2017).
At
https://www.alrc.gov.au/sites/default/files/pdfs/publications/elder_abuse_131_final_report_31_may_20
17.pdf (viewed 11 September 2017).
43 See Australian Institute of Family Studies, Elder Abuse: Understanding issues, frameworks and
responses, Research Report No 35 (2016). At https://aifs.gov.au/publications/elder-abuse/2whatelder-abuse (viewed 11 September 2017); Queensland 55th Parliament, ‘Inquiry into the
adequacy of existing protections for Queensland’s seniors’, Communities, Disability Services and
Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Committee
Report No. 2. August 2015. At
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/TabledPapers/2015/5515T876.pdf (viewed 11
September 2017); NSW Legislative Council, General Purpose Standing Committee No 2, Inquiry into
elder abuse in New South Wales, Report 44 (2016). At
https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/committees/inquiries/Pages/inquirydetails.aspx?pk=2387#tabreports (viewed 11 September 2017); Victorian Government, Royal
Commission into Family Violence, Report (2016). At
http://www.rcfv.com.au/Report-Recommendations (viewed 11 September 2017).
44 As announced in the Liberal Party of Australia, The Coalition’s Policy to Protect the Rights of Older
Australians (2016). At www.liberal.org.au/coalitions-policy-protect-rights-older-australians (viewed 11
September 2017).
45 As announced in the Liberal Party of Australia, Improving the digital confidence and skills of senior
Australians (2016). At https://www.liberal.org.au/latest-news/2016/06/26/improving-digital-confidenceand-skills-senior-australians (viewed 11 September 2017).
46 Australian Government, ‘About the office’, Office of the eSafety Commissioner. At
https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-the-office (viewed 11 September 2017). See also Enhancing Online
Safety for Children Act 2015 (Cth).
47 The Hon Mitch Fifield, Minister for Communications, and The Hon Michaelia Cash, Minister for
Women, eSafety Commissioner to enhance online safety for all Australians, Ministers for the
Department of Communications and the Arts, Australian Government (20 June 2017). At
http://www.minister.communications.gov.au/mitch_fifield/news/esafety_commissioner_to_enhance_onl
ine_safety_for_all_australians#.WbXnsk1dY8Q (viewed 11 September 2017).
48 Australian Human Rights Commission, Willing to Work: National Inquiry into Employment
Discrimination Against Older Australians and Australians with Disability (2 May 2016). At
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/publications/willing-work-national-inquiryemployment-discrimination (viewed 11 September 2017).
49 Australian Human Rights Commission, Willing to Work National Inquiry into Employment
Discrimination against Older Australians and Australians with Disability, 2 May 2016. At
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/publications/willing-work-nationalinquiryemployment-discrimination (viewed 11 September 2017).
50 Australian Bureau of Statistics, Disability, Ageing and Carers, Australia: First Results, 2015 (Cat.
No. 4430.0.10.001). At http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4430.0.10.001 (viewed 11
September 2017).
51 The Commission’s report, Equal Before The Law, concluded that people with disability have higher
rates of interaction with the criminal justice system than other Australians, citing 2012 statistics that
indicate 38% of prison entrants reported that they have been told by a doctor, psychiatrist,
psychologist or nurse that they have a mental health disorder and 46% of prison discharges reported
that they have been told they have a health condition – mental health, including drug and alcohol
abuse. Australian Human Rights Commission, Equal Before the Law: Towards disability justice
strategies (2014) 12. At https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/publications/equallaw (viewed 11 September 2017).
52 Australian Human Rights Commission, Equal Before the Law: Towards disability justice strategies
(2014) 12. At https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/disability-rights/publications/equal-law (viewed
11 September 2017).
53 Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review Australia, HRC, 31st sess, Agenda
Item 6, UN Doc A/HRC/31/14 (31 January 2016) [141]. At http://
www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/UPR/Pages/AUSession23.aspx (viewed 11 September 2017). See also
Australian Law Reform Commission, Equality, Capacity and Disability in Commonwealth Laws, Report
No 124 (2014) 200–201 (Recommendation 7–1), 206 (Recommendation 7-2); Senate Standing
Committee on Community Affairs, Parliament of Australia, Indefinite detention of people with cognitive
and psychiatric impairment in Australia (2016) 173 [9.11] (Recommendation 1). At
44