© Australian Human Rights Commission and Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission 2020. We encourage the dissemination and exchange of information presented in this publication and endorse the use of the Australian Governments Open Access and Licensing Framework (AusGOAL). All material presented in this publication is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence, with the exception of: • photographs and images • the Commission’s logo, any branding or trademarks • where otherwise indicated. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. In essence, you are free to copy, communicate and adapt the publication, as long as you attribute the Australian Human Rights Commission and abide by the other licence terms. Please give attribution to: © Australian Human Rights Commission and Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission 2020. ISBN 978-1-925917-20-8 Freedom of religion in Australia: a focus on serious harms • July 2020 For further information about copyright in this publication, please contact: Communications Unit Australian Human Rights Commission GPO Box 5218 SYDNEY NSW 2001 Telephone: (02) 9284 9600 TTY: 1800 620 241 Email: communications@humanrights.gov.au Design and layout: Jody Stocovaz Cover image: iStock Internal photography: iStock The Australian Human Rights Commission is Australia’s National Human Rights Institution. It is an independent statutory organisation with responsibility for leading the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia. Further information about the Commission can be found at www.humanrights.gov.au/ about-commission. The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is an independent statutory body with responsibilities under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010, the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001, and the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. Further information about the VEOHRC can be found at www.humanrightscommission.vic.gov.au/about. Authors: Daniel Nellor, Lauren Perry, John Howell and Edward Santow. Acknowledgements: • Rosalind Croucher, President; and Chin Tan, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission. • Australian Human Rights Commission staff: Liz Stephens and Leon Wild. • Kristen Hilton, Commissioner; and Amy Rogers, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights. • Participants in the Sydney and Melbourne roundtable meetings co-convened in June 2019 by AHRC and VEOHRC. 2