The National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families was established by the Federal Attorney-General in 1995. It was conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC). In April 1997, the Commission handed down the report, Bringing them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families containing 54 recommendations.
The basic terms of reference for the Commission were to inquire into and report on the following matters:
a) what were the laws, policies and practices that resulted in the removal of children in the past, and what effect did they have?
b) were the (then) current laws and practices (related to services available) adequate enough to help people whom had been affected by removal in the past?
c) what factors were important to consider when thinking about compensation for people who had been removed?
d) whether the (then) current laws and policies around removal needed to be changed.
In April 1997, the Commission handed down the report, Bringing them Home: Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families containing 54 recommendations.
