What we do
Our vision
An Australia where everyone is free to lead a decent, dignified life; where our laws, policies and institutions promote fairness and equality; and where people and communities have the power to address inequality and injustice, and ensure that governments always act in the public interest.
Our mission
The Human Rights Law Centre uses strategic legal action, policy solutions and advocacy to support people and communities to eliminate inequality and injustice and build a fairer, more compassionate Australia.
Our current impact areas:
Strengthening the legal and institutional protection of human rights
Promoting the human rights of people seeking asylum and refugees
Protecting democratic freedoms
Partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to promote their rights
Ensuring prisons, youth justice centres and police cells comply with human rights
Protecting women’s reproductive health rights
Ensuring Australian companies comply with human rights standards overseas
Promoting human rights through Australian foreign policy and UN engagement
View the Human Rights Law Centre Constitution
View the Human Rights Law Centre’s Strategic Plan 2030
The Human Rights Law Centre is an independent, not-for-profit, non-government organisation that is a registered charity and that has deductible gift recipient status. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
The Human Rights Law Centre has consultative status accreditation with the UN Economic and Social Council, allowing us to participate formally in UN processes as a non-government organisation.
The Human Rights Law Centre is accredited with the National Community Legal Centre Accreditation Scheme. This quality assurance scheme assesses governance, legal practice and other industry standards for community legal services.
The Human Rights Law Centre has an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy that was developed by management and staff across the organisation, incorporating the knowledge and experience of staff, information from human rights commissions, and similar policies in other civil society organisations and the legal profession. It is regularly reviewed for improvement, and the Policy's implementation is progressed through a joint staff and management Equity & Diversity working group. You can read the policy here.
The Human Rights Law Centre has an Equitable Briefing Policy designed to guide the selection of legal counsel in litigious or advice work, and to set out our commitment to encouraging equitable briefing practices more broadly. We recognise our responsibility to actively promote diversity, equality, respect and inclusion within our work and within the legal profession.
We are committed to using our resources and influence to drive cultural change and address structural barriers to equal participation in the profession. This policy is also intended to contribute to the our efforts in fostering a more diverse legal profession. You can read the Equitable Briefing Policy here.