Human rights are also commonly referred to as civil rights and they are the rights that protect every human being from being treated unfairly. These rights vary depending on what country you reside in but in Australia, basic human rights cover everything from your right to be healthy and safe through to your right to be free and have privacy and these are not affected by age, race, gender or disability. If you feel as though your human rights have been violated, then you will need to contact Maurice Blackburn human rights law firm or a similar company to help you to take your case to court in order to win compensation for your ordeal.

Whether you are female or male, white or black, old or young – we should all have the same rights but unfortunately this isn’t always a reality and many people find themselves being unfairly treated solely because of the way they look or what they believe in.

Here is a round-up of some of our basic human rights:

  • Freedom of speech
  • Privacy
  • Safety
  • Health

You have the right to your own freedom and privacy, as well as the right to be safe and healthy and also to say what you believe in. A freedom of assembly and a freedom of association are also important and your personal rights are something that are safeguarded by the law.

Discrimination on the grounds of any of the following can be considered to be illegal:

  • Age
  • Gender
  • Sexual preference
  • Disability
  • Race
  • Ethnic background
  • Religious beliefs

The Sex Discrimination Act was brought in to promote equality between women and men, to eliminate discrimination based on gender, pregnancy or marital status and to eliminate problems such as sexual harassment in the workplace.

The Race Discrimination Act was introduced to ensure the following:

  1. All races are treated equally and not based on their colour or ethnic origin
  2. To ensure discrimination based on someone’s race is unlawful

The Age Discrimination Act was brought in to make sure that people were not treated unfairly based on their age and this covers all of the following:

  • In the workplace
  • In education
  • When providing goods or services

Another act that comes under human rights law is the Disability Discrimination Act that protects people with disabilities from being discriminated against. Community acceptance is promoted under this act and the ability to ensure – as much as it is reasonable – that people with disabilities have the same human rights as everyone else.

When it comes to human rights law, you will need to seek professional help to find out whether or not you have an eligible case to take to court. This area of law can be complicated and as a result, you will need to ensure you hire a reputable lawyer with years of experience in this field and they will be able to tell you everything you need to know during the initial consultation.