| Age Discrimination Act 2004 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of Australia | |
| |
| Citation | Age Discrimination Act 2004 (Cth) |
| Enacted by | House of Representatives |
| Enacted by | Senate |
| Royal assent | 22 June 2004 |
| Commenced | 23 June 2004 |
| Legislative history | |
| First chamber: House of Representatives | |
| Bill title | Age Discrimination Bill 2003 |
| Introduced by | Daryl Williams[1] |
| First reading | 26 June 2003 |
| Second reading | 26 November 2003 |
| Third reading | 26 November 2003 |
| Second chamber: Senate | |
| Bill title | Age Discrimination Bill 2003 |
| First reading | 1 December 2003 |
| Second reading | 3 December 2003 |
| Third reading | 29 March 2004 |
| Amended by | |
| Age Discrimination Amendment Act 2006 (Cth) | |
| Related legislation | |
| Age Discrimination (Consequential Provisions) Act 2004 (Cth) | |
| Status: In force | |
The Age Discrimination Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that prohibits age discrimination in many areas including employment, education, accommodation and the provision of goods and services. Persons of any age can be discriminated against within the meaning of the act.[2]
Some exemptions are provided, including for religious organisations, charitable organisations and positive discrimination.
Complaints of discrimination must first be made to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), where a conciliation process can be initiated. Filing a complaint is free.[3] If the complaint is not resolved through the conciliation process, it can be taken to the Federal Court or the Federal Circuit Court.
In general, age discrimination is not a criminal offence. However, the Act creates criminal offences of discriminatory advertising, victimisation and failure to disclose statistical or actuarial data upon request by the President of the AHRC. [4]