by Dr Penelope Mathew, President and Human Rights Commissioner

Earlier this month, I was honoured to sit at a table with two experts with lived experience of disability and one of the country’s top silks and discuss what should be done in the wake of the Disability Royal Commission. At this forum, hosted by the Commission to celebrate International Human Rights Day, our speakers all pointed to the opportunities we have in this moment to make real and lasting change in the lives of people with disability.

It was a thought-provoking note on which to wrap up my first two months as the new President and Human Rights Commissioner.

My first couple of months in the role have been action-packed. To begin with, the government’s legislative agenda has included many important new reforms on which my team at the Commission has provided expert commentary, frequently in collaboration with other teams within the Commission. I have been meeting with many of our important stakeholders both within government and the community to hear more about the human rights issues that are of concern to them. I have also enjoyed meeting the talented staff of the Commission and working with the three other Commissioners, all of whom are committed to the cause of human rights and work hard every day to fulfil the Commission’s mandate of achieving an inclusive ACT community that respects and realises human rights.

As we look forward to the new year, I am particularly excited about two human rights developments coming in 2024: realising the right to a healthy environment in the ACT, an Australian first; and a human rights complaints pathway, which will allow ACT residents to bring human rights complaints to us at the Commission, in addition to the existing subjects of complaints, such as discrimination, and other avenues for rights enforcement – in particular, the Supreme Court

I wish you all a safe and peaceful Christmas and holiday season.