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Human Rights Act 2004

Legislation · Australian Capital Territory · 2004
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The accessibility of this material to the public is one of the criteria for deciding whether to consider the material and the weighting to be given to it. Material on the ACT legislation register is taken to be accessible to the public. Various human rights conventions and convenants are published on the legislation register. Various declarations of incompatibility are published on the legislation register. Search this item Tips Advanced search Standard search will find words which occur next to each other as a phrase . For more infromation read Search Tips and Using Search . Advanced search gives the full range of search options. For more infromation read Search Tips and Using Search . Input type Basic query Exact match search of word or phrase. Boolean query Construct a search query using Boolean operators. For more information read Search Tips and Using Search . Expert query Construct a search query using Perceptive Search query syntax . 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Select version to search Documents version All versions R17 (current) 17 March 2025 R16 (RI) 11 June 2024 - 16 March 2025 R16 11 June 2024 - 16 March 2025 R15 12 December 2023 - 10 June 2024 R14 6 April 2022 - 11 December 2023 R13 14 May 2020 - 5 April 2022 R12 2 March 2017 - 13 May 2020 R11 1 September 2016 - 1 March 2017 R10 26 February 2016 - 31 August 2016 R9 2 January 2016 - 25 February 2016 R8* 1 January 2013 - 1 January 2016 R7* 2 January 2010 - 31 December 2012 R6 2 February 2009 - 1 January 2010 R5 1 January 2009 - 1 February 2009 R4 18 March 2008 - 31 December 2008 R3* 2 January 2007 - 17 March 2008 R2 1 November 2006 - 1 January 2007 R1 1 July 2004 - 31 October 2006 As notified 1 July 2004 Clear Search Current law Regulations & instruments Point-in-time versions Law history Current version Notes Uncommenced amendments by Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025 . Uncommenced expiry of provisions. Effective Files/Formats Version Published Notes 17 March 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R17 17 March 2025 Republication for amendments by A2024-43 Administering Minister and Directorate Minister for Human Rights - Justice and Community Safety Directorate Legislative instruments Legislative instruments under the Act and its subordinate laws Name Status Classifier Type Under Effective Year and No Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2009 None Notifiable instruments s 40D 1 July 2009 NI2009-239 Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2010 (No 2) None Notifiable instruments s 40D 1 March 2010 NI2010-59 Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2010 (No 1) None Notifiable instruments s 40D 1 March 2010 NI2010-68 Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2012 None Notifiable instruments s 40D 8 May 2012 NI2012-230 Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2012 (No 2) None Notifiable instruments s 40D 1 June 2012 NI2012-276 Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2012 (No 3) None Notifiable instruments s 40D 1 January 2013 NI2012-621 Human Rights (Private Entity) Declaration 2013 None Notifiable instruments s 40D 10 December 2013 NI2013-531 Human Rights Commission (Acting Victims of Crime Commissioner) Appointment 2025 (No 3) None Appointment Notifiable instruments s 18D 12 July 2025 - 13 January 2026 NI2025-327 Point-in-time versions Enter a date to find a version from 1 July 2004 onwards : The following table lists 18 point in time versions. 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Effective Files/Formats Version Published Notes 17 March 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R17 17 March 2025 Republication for amendments by A2024-43 11 June 2024 - 16 March 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R16 (RI) 17 September 2024 Reissued for retrospective amendments by A2024-49 Republication for amendments by A2023-53 11 June 2024 - 16 March 2025 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R16 11 June 2024 Republication for amendments by A2023-53 Does not include retrospective amendments by A2024-49 (see reissued republication) 12 December 2023 - 10 June 2024 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R15 12 December 2023 Republication for amendments by A2023-53 6 April 2022 - 11 December 2023 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R14 6 April 2022 Republication for amendments by A2022-4 14 May 2020 - 5 April 2022 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R13 14 May 2020 Republication for amendments by A2020-13 2 March 2017 - 13 May 2020 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R12 2 March 2017 Republication for amendments by A2017-5 1 September 2016 - 1 March 2017 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R11 1 September 2016 Republication for amendments by A2016-52 26 February 2016 - 31 August 2016 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R10 26 February 2016 Republication for amendments by A2016-5 2 January 2016 - 25 February 2016 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R9 2 January 2016 Republication for expiry of provision (s 43) 1 January 2013 - 1 January 2016 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R8* 1 January 2013 Republication for amendments by A2012-41 2 January 2010 - 31 December 2012 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R7* 2 January 2010 Republication for commenced expiry 2 February 2009 - 1 January 2010 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R6 2 February 2009 Republication for amendments by A2008-36 1 January 2009 - 1 February 2009 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R5 1 January 2009 Republication for amendments by A2008-3 18 March 2008 - 31 December 2008 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R4 18 March 2008 Republication for amendments by A2008-3 2 January 2007 - 17 March 2008 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R3* 2 January 2007 Republication for commenced expiry 1 November 2006 - 1 January 2007 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R2 1 November 2006 Republication for amendments by A2005-41 as amended by A2006-3 1 July 2004 - 31 October 2006 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word R1 1 July 2004 Republication for new Act 1 July 2004 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word As notified 10 March 2004 Bill and Explanatory statement The bill and explanatory statement for this Act are accessed from Human Rights Bill 2003 . Notification statement The Human Rights Act 2004 has been passed by the Legislative Assembly and is notified under the Legislation Act 2001. Notified: 10 March 2004 (Parliamentary Counsel) Act as notified Date notified Effective Files/Formats Notes 10 March 2004 1 July 2004 View online icon HTML Download icon PDF Download icon Word Commencement Provision Commencement date Commencement method s 1, s 2 10 March 2004 LA s 75 (1) remainder 1 July 2004 s 2 Expiries Provision Expiry date Expiry method s 40C (8)-(10) commences 1 October 2028 s 40C (10) s 43 commences 1 October 2028 s 43 (4) s 43 1 January 2016 (midnight) s 43 (3) s 44 1 January 2010 (midnight) s 44 (2) s 43 1 January 2007 (midnight) s 43 (3) Amendments For section-by-section amendment annotations, see the amendment history in the endnotes in the current version of this law. Year and number Amending law Amending provision Commencement date A2017-5 Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2017 sch 1 pt 1.4 2 March 2017 A2016-52 Public Sector Management Amendment Act 2016 sch 1 pt 1.36 1 September 2016 A2016-5 Human Rights Amendment Act 2016 ss 4-9 26 February 2016 A2012-41 Human Rights Amendment Act 2012 ss 4-11 1 January 2013 A2008-36 ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal Legislation Amendment Act 2008 sch 1 pt 1.30 2 February 2009 A2008-3 Human Rights Amendment Act 2008 ss 4-6 18 March 2008 A2008-3 Human Rights Amendment Act 2008 ss 7-9 1 January 2009 A2005-41 Human Rights Commission Legislation Amendment Act 2005 sch 1 pt 1.7 1 November 2006 A2020-13 Human Rights (Workers Rights) Amendment Act 2020 s 4, s 5 14 May 2020 A2022-4 Legislation (Legislative Assembly Committees) Amendment Act 2022 sch 1 pt 1.12 6 April 2022 A2023-53 Human Rights (Complaints) Legislation Amendment Act 2023 ss 3-7, s 9, sch 1 12 December 2023 A2023-53 Human Rights (Complaints) Legislation Amendment Act 2023 s 8, s 10 11 June 2024 A2024-43 Human Rights (Healthy Environment) Amendment Act 2024 ss 4-10 17 March 2025 A2024-49 Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2024 pt 8 taken to have commenced 11 June 2024 A2025-24 Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025 s 4, s 6, s 7 commences 1 January 2027 A2025-24 Human Rights (Housing) Amendment Act 2025 s 5 commences 1 January 2029 Subscribe to this law About this site Contact us Disclaimer Privacy Accessibility Copyright Glossary Abbreviation key Related links Acknowledgement of Country Copyright 2001 ACT Government. 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