The Human Rights Medal is awarded by the Australian Human Rights Commission each year. It was established in 1987 by the then Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) to recognise the "contribution to Australian society of a wide variety of men and women committed to issues of human rights, social justice and equality". The Australian Human Rights Commission receives nominations for the Human Rights Medal and other award categories, with the choice of recipient made by an independent panel.
The Human Rights Medal is awarded only to an individual who, to be eligible, must have made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights in Australia in at least one of the following areas:
(the entrant must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident).[1]
The medals are presented at the Commission’s annual Human Rights Medal and Awards ceremony.
In 2008 the Young People’s Human Rights Medal was awarded for the first time.