Submission to Inquiry into freedom of speech in Australia - racial vilification and discrimination

This document is a submission made in 2016 by the APS to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights Inquiry into freedom of speech in Australia.

In this submission, the APS provides evidence that diluting the definition of racial hatred in the Racial Discrimination Act will not only impact upon individuals who may be victims of racism, but on social and community understandings of racism as a concept, thereby shifting the standards of what is considered acceptable.

The APS supports strong protections against racial vilification and discrimination and considers that the existing Racial Discrimination Act 1975 does not impose unreasonable restrictions on freedom of speech, and therefore the APS does not believe that sections 18C and 18D need reforming.

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