Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986

A special‑purpose Commissioner has the function of assisting the Federal Court and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 2), as amicus curiae, in the following proceedings under this Division:

proceedings in which the special‑purpose Commissioner thinks that the orders sought, or likely to be sought, may affect to a significant extent the human rights of persons who are not parties to the proceedings;

proceedings that, in the opinion of the special‑purpose Commissioner, have significant implications for the administration of the relevant Act or Acts;

proceedings that involve special circumstances that satisfy the special‑purpose Commissioner that it would be in the public interest for the special‑purpose Commissioner to assist the court concerned as amicus curiae.

The function may only be exercised with the leave of the court concerned.

In this section, special‑purpose Commissioner means:

the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner; and

the Disability Discrimination Commissioner; and

the Human Rights Commissioner; and

the Race Discrimination Commissioner; and

the Sex Discrimination Commissioner; and

the Age Discrimination Commissioner; and

the National Children’s Commissioner.