Case No Country AUS 1/2015 25/02/2015 Australia AL Mandate(s) Summary of the allegation transmitted Reply Human rights defenders; 24/04/2015 Allegations of interference with the work and verbal attacks against the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) by Australian Government officials. According to the information received, on 3 February 2014, the AHRC launched a national inquiry into the impact of immigration detention on children, led by its President, Professor Gillian Triggs. On 31 October 2014, AHRC provided the Australian Government with a final copy of the report of the national inquiry. Between November 2014 and February 2015, Professor Triggs’ integrity, impartiality and judgment was criticized by the Australian Government. In early 2015, two weeks prior to the scheduled tabling of this report and the Governments’ response in Parliament, as required by law, the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department asked Professor Triggs to resign from her position; a request which she rejected. Prior to this, on 15 December 2014, the Government had announced a 30 percent reduction in the funding to AHRC and, on 17 December 2014, a Human Rights Commissioner was appointed directly by the Attorney-General. On 12 February 2015, the Australian Prime Minister stated that the inquiry conducted by Professor Triggs was ‘a blatantly partisan, politicised exercise and the Human Rights Commission ought to be ashamed of itself’. A/HRC/29/50 68 Date Type