Request for public and private complaints against australian human rights commission staff
Dear Australian Human Rights Commission,
I am writing to you today to make a request Freedom of Information Act 1982.
I wish to request a list of all public and private complaints against the Australian Human Rights Commission and its staff members and commissioners and president and a copy of of each complaint and a copy of the response to each complaint from 1 January 2020 to 1 July 2025.
I look forward to hearing your decision in due course to this application.
Yours faithfully,
Ben
Dear Mr Fairchild,
The Australian Human Rights Commission has begun processing your request
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).
You have requested access to:
A list of all public and private complaints against the Australian Human
Rights Commission and its staff members and commissioners and president
and a copy of each complaint and a copy of the response to each complaint
from 1 January 2020 to 1 July 2025.
Under the FOI Act, the Commission has until Monday, 6 October 2025 to make
a decision in relation to your request.
If your request covers documents which are business documents or documents
affecting another person’s privacy, and the Commission is required under
the FOI Act to consult with a third party before making a decision on the
release of those documents, the processing period will be extended a
further 30 days. An FOI officer from the Commission will advise you if
third party consultation is required.
Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions relating to
your request for documents.
Best regards,
Grace Tynan she/her
Paralegal - FOI
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9792
E [1][email address] W [2]humanrights.gov.au
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[3]Email signature graphic. Australian Human Rights Commission Logo.
Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday.
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://humanrights.gov.au/
3. http://www.humanrights.gov.au/
Dear Mr Fairchild
I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to
the Australian Human Rights Commission (Commission) below.
I have been allocated your FOI request.
The scope of your FOI request is very broad in terms of its subject matter
and the timeframe for the documents that you are seeking (covering 5.5
years).
I am writing to ask that you consider narrowing the scope of your FOI
request by:
* narrowing who made the complaint to either a person outside of the
Commission or a person inside of the Commission;
* narrowing the subject matter of the complaint; and
* reducing the timeframe for the documents you are seeking to a 1 year
period.
I would be grateful if you could please respond by 12 noon, Thursday 11
September 2025. If you would like to discuss this matter, please call me
on 9284 9658.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Catherine
Catherine Chang she/her
Senior Lawyer
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9658
E [1][email address] W [2]humanrights.gov.au
I work on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[3][IMG][4][IMG]
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
Hi Mr Fairchild,
Just following up on my previous email, the due date was not calculated
correctly. As there is a public holiday on Monday 6 October, the actual
due date is Tuesday 7 October 2025.
I apologise for this oversight.
Warm regards,
Grace Tynan she/her
Paralegal - FOI
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9792
E [1][email address] W [2]humanrights.gov.au
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[3]Email signature graphic. Australian Human Rights Commission Logo.
Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday.
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
From: Grace Tynan
Sent: Monday, 8 September 2025 1:04 PM
To: [4][FOI #13611 email]
Subject: Acknowledgement email [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Dear Mr Fairchild,
The Australian Human Rights Commission has begun processing your request
under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) (FOI Act).
You have requested access to:
A list of all public and private complaints against the Australian Human
Rights Commission and its staff members and commissioners and president
and a copy of each complaint and a copy of the response to each complaint
from 1 January 2020 to 1 July 2025.
Under the FOI Act, the Commission has until Monday, 6 October 2025 to make
a decision in relation to your request.
If your request covers documents which are business documents or documents
affecting another person’s privacy, and the Commission is required under
the FOI Act to consult with a third party before making a decision on the
release of those documents, the processing period will be extended a
further 30 days. An FOI officer from the Commission will advise you if
third party consultation is required.
Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions relating to
your request for documents.
Best regards,
Grace Tynan she/her
Paralegal - FOI
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9792
E [5][email address] W [6]humanrights.gov.au
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[7]Email signature graphic. Australian Human Rights Commission Logo.
Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday.
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://humanrights.gov.au/
3. http://www.humanrights.gov.au/
4. mailto:[FOI #13611 email]
5. mailto:[email address]
6. https://humanrights.gov.au/
7. http://www.humanrights.gov.au/
Dear Mr Fairchild
I refer to my email to you below.
I have not received a response to my email by today as requested.
I would be grateful if you could please respond asap (and by no later than
COB tomorrow, Friday 12 September 2025).
Thank you.
Kind regards
Catherine
Catherine Chang she/her
Senior Lawyer
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9658
E [1][email address] W [2]humanrights.gov.au
I work on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[3][IMG][4][IMG]
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
_____________________________________________
From: Catherine Chang <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, 9 September 2025 12:24 PM
To: [FOI #13611 email]
Subject: FOI application - request to narrow scope - by Thursday, 11
September 2025 [SEC=OFFICIAL]
Importance: High
Dear Mr Fairchild
I refer to your request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to
the Australian Human Rights Commission (Commission) below.
I have been allocated your FOI request.
The scope of your FOI request is very broad in terms of its subject matter
and the timeframe for the documents that you are seeking (covering 5.5
years).
I am writing to ask that you consider narrowing the scope of your FOI
request by:
* narrowing who made the complaint to either a person outside of the
Commission or a person inside of the Commission;
* narrowing the subject matter of the complaint; and
* reducing the timeframe for the documents you are seeking to a 1 year
period.
I would be grateful if you could please respond by 12 noon, Thursday 11
September 2025. If you would like to discuss this matter, please call me
on 9284 9658.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Catherine
Catherine Chang she/her
Senior Lawyer
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9658
E [5][email address] W [6]humanrights.gov.au
I work on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[7][IMG]
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
Dear Catherine Chang,
I am writing to ask that you consider narrowing the scope of your FOI
request by:
* narrowing who made the complaint to either a person outside of the
Commission or a person inside of the Commission;
members of the public.
* narrowing the subject matter of the complaint; and
complaints about mediators
complaints about leadership or commissioners or the president
* reducing the timeframe for the documents you are seeking to a 1 year
period.
From 2022 to 2025
Yours sincerely,
Ben Fairchild
Dear Mr Fairchild
Please see attached letter in relation to your FOI request dated 6
September 2025.
Thank you.
Kind regards
Catherine
Catherine Chang she/her
Senior Lawyer
Australian Human Rights Commission
GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
T +61 2 9284 9658
E [1][email address] W [2]humanrights.gov.au
I work on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia,
and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We
pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and future.
[3]Email signature graphic. Australian Human Rights Commission Logo.
Everyone, Everywhere, Everyday.
The Commission supports flexible working arrangements, and I am sending
this message at a time that is convenient to me and my work schedule. It
is not my expectation that you read, respond, or follow up on this email
outside your hours of work.
References
Visible links
1. mailto:[email address]
2. https://humanrights.gov.au/
3. http://www.humanrights.gov.au/