Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) 2022

# Australian Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment (Selection and Appointment) 2022 ## What it does This law changes how people get appointed to lead Australia's human rights watchdogs — specifically the commissioners who handle age, disability, race and sex discrimination complaints. The main change: from now on, when someone is appointed to one of these roles, the government must advertise the position publicly and choose based on merit, rather than just picking someone quietly. ## Why it matters These commissioners investigate discrimination complaints and advise the government on human rights issues, so how they're chosen affects whether the process is fair and transparent. Making appointments more open and merit-based means Australians can see who's being considered and why, rather than appointments happening behind closed doors. ## Key details - **Public advertising required**: Any new appointment must come from a public, merit-based selection process (though if someone's already doing the job, they can be reappointed without re-advertising) - **7-year term limit**: No one can serve as a discrimination commissioner for more than 7 years total, even across multiple appointments - **Covers five laws**: The changes apply to commissioners under the Age Discrimination Act, Disability Discrimination Act, Racial Discrimination Act, Sex Discrimination Act, and the main Human Rights Commission Act - **Starts immediately**: The law took effect the day after it received Royal Assent

🔒 Voting closed — this bill has been decided by parliament