This position paper is based on the AHRC's and the VEOHRC’s collective experience and research in the area of freedom of religion and human rights. In addition, the two Commissions convened joint roundtables in Sydney (11 June 2019) and Melbourne (27 June 2019) on the...

This paper advances the argument that behind any rights claim lies a moral claim, and that this moral claim is essentially a claim about human dignity. The paper also argues that defending religious freedom is important because it amounts to defending fundamental claims people wish...

Freedom House has found that 2019 was the 14th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. The gap between setbacks and gains widened compared with 2018, as individuals in 64 countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties while those in just 37...

This document includes a detailed analysis of human rights developments in 25 countries and territories from the Asia-Pacific region.

This report, submitted to the Australian Senate inquiry into nationhood, national identity and democracy, contributes to the current debate about the role of national identity and international cooperation in Australian politics by placing Australia’s national values in their historic context, and arguing for their continued...

Innovative Research Universities (IRU) has submitted this response to the Australian government’s draft Religious Discrimination Bill 2019, which sets out to further protect and better promote freedom of religion.

There are a number of protections for freedom of religion in Australian law. This guide outlines the options available for people who wish to make a complaint.

This report examines some of the perceived problems associated with the reconciling of the exercise of freedom of religion with other human rights. It considers solutions and legislative reforms.

In 2018, Freedom in the World recorded the 13th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. The reversal has spanned a variety of countries in every region, from long-standing democracies like the United States to consolidated authoritarian regimes like China and Russia. The pattern is...

In late 2017, an expert panel was established to examine whether Australian law adequately protects the human right to freedom of religion. This report was delivered to the Australian government in May 2018 and has now finally been released.

The right to religious freedom is not the only fundamental human right. It cannot therefore be absolute, but exists alongside other rights. How different rights and freedom coexist is one of the big questions facing our nation today.

In her 2018 Acton Lecture, Debra Mullins, a Supreme Court of Queensland judge, engaged with the increasing hostility confronting religious believers — particularly Christians — when they leave the privacy of their homes and venture into the public square. In particular, she examined the challenges...

This report, submitted to the Religious Freedom Review Expert Panel, aims to explain the fundamental principles underlying the concept of religious liberty, and to explain how the current methods and other proposals to protect this liberty are deficient or fail to achieve their goals.

Political rights and civil liberties around the world deteriorated to their lowest point in more than a decade in 2017, extending a period characterized by emboldened autocrats, beleaguered democracies, and the United States’ withdrawal from its leadership role in the global struggle for human freedom.

This Interim Report focuses on the legal framework in Australia and its effectiveness in protecting religious freedom, drawing on the evidence received in the public hearings and in relevant submissions. The SubCommittee takes the view that it would be most appropriate to review and report...

This report, commissioned by the Victorian Multicultural Commission, examines the Bendigo mosque protests in 2016.

This paper sets out to examine some of the key problems religious violence poses for western, liberal societies.

This is the Islamic Council of Victoria's submission to the inquiry into the status of the human right to freedom of religion or belief.

This report from a survey of 1,024 Australians shows that religion in Australia is not dead.

In 2016, populist and nationalist political forces made astonishing gains in democratic states, while authoritarian powers engaged in brazen acts of aggression, and grave atrocities went unanswered in war zones across two continents.

Abstract Religious liberty is central to the Australian way of life. It is enshrined in the Australian Constitution. But it is not the only freedom that matters. There is a rising tension between accommodating differing freedoms in 21st century Australia. The changing face of Australia...

The world was battered by crises that fueled xenophobic sentiment in democratic countries, undermined the economies of states dependent on the sale of natural resources, and led authoritarian regimes to crack down harder on dissent. These developments contributed to the 10th consecutive year of decline...

On October 14, 2015, Secretary Kerry submitted the 2014 International Religious Freedom Report to the United States Congress. Now in its 17th year, this congressionally-mandated Report comprises almost 200 distinct reports on countries and territories worldwide and continues to reflect the United States’ commitment to...

Rights & Responsibilities 2014 was a national consultation conducted by the Human Rights Commissioner between August and December 2014. The consultation examined how well people think their human rights and freedoms are protected in Australia. Altogether the Human Rights Commissioner consulted with over 1 100...