Australian Capital Territory Numbered Acts

DISCRIMINATION AMENDMENT ACT 2016 (NO. 49 OF 2016) - SECT 4

substitute

4     Objects of Act

The objects of this Act are—

        (a)     to eliminate discrimination to the greatest extent possible; and

        (b)     to promote and protect the right to equality before the law under the Human Rights Act 2004

, including—

              (i)     the right to enjoy a person's human rights without distinction or discrimination of any kind; and

              (ii)     the right to the equal protection of the law without discrimination; and

              (iii)     the right to equal and effective protection against discrimination on any ground; and

        (c)     to encourage the identification and elimination of systemic causes of discrimination; and

        (d)     to promote and facilitate the progressive realisation of equality, as far as reasonably practicable, by recognising that—

              (i)     discrimination can cause social and economic disadvantage and that access opportunities are not equitably distributed throughout society; and

              (ii)     equal application of a rule to different groups can have unequal results or outcomes; and

              (iii)     the achievement of substantive equality may require the making of reasonable adjustments, reasonable accommodation and the taking of special measures.

4AA     Interpretation beneficial to people with protected attributes

This Act must be interpreted in a way that is beneficial to a person who has an attribute mentioned in section 7, to the extent it is possible to do so consistently with—

        (a)     the objects of this Act; and

        (b)     human rights under the Human Rights Act 2004

.

Note     The Legislation Act

, s 139 (1) (which is about interpreting legislation to be consistent with its purpose) and the Human Rights Act 2004

, s 30 (which is about interpreting legislation to be consistent with human rights) are also relevant to interpreting territory laws.