Reflections on the Australian Human Rights Commission: lessons from asylum policy

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ABSTRACT As the 40th anniversary of the Australian Human Rights Commission nears, we draw on the lessons from the AHRC’s work on asylum and refugee policy to identify areas of strength and of weakness in its contemporary context. We begin by describing the role of the AHRC in asylum and refugee policy. We then examine three key areas. First, we examine the independence of the AHRC, and the institutional and other protections needed to sustain this. Second, we examine structural features impacting on the effectiveness of the AHRC in promoting human rights. Third, we examine the AHRC’s role as an enabler and connector within the international and national human rights frameworks.