Australian Human Rights Commission’s status at risk over Coalition’s appointment process

Human rights commissioner Lorraine Finlay was appointed by the Morrison government last year without the position being advertised. Photograph: Murdoch University

Australia’s Human Rights Commission risks having its global accreditation downgraded because of the way the Coalition made key appointments.

It is claimed the government bypassed open merit-based selection processes for the appointment of Lorraine Finlay as human rights commissioner in 2021 and Ben Gauntlett as disability discrimination commissioner in 2019.