Discrimination Act 1991
A1991-81
Republication No 53
Effective: 16 November 2025
Republication date: 16 November 2025
Last amendment made by A2025‑29
About this republication
The republished law
This is a republication of the Discrimination Act 1991 (including any amendment made under the Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 (Editorial changes)) as in force on 16 November 2025. It also includes any commencement, amendment, repeal or expiry affecting this republished law to 16 November 2025.
The legislation history and amendment history of the republished law are set out in endnotes 3 and 4.
Kinds of republications
The Parliamentary Counsel’s Office prepares 2 kinds of republications of ACT laws (see the ACT legislation register at type="disc">
authorised republications to which the Legislation Act 2001 applies
unauthorised republications.
The status of this republication appears on the bottom of each page.
Editorial changes
The Legislation Act 2001, part 11.3 authorises the Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial amendments and other changes of a formal nature when preparing a law for republication. Editorial changes do not change the effect of the law, but have effect as if they had been made by an Act commencing on the republication date (see Legislation Act 2001, s 115 and s 117). The changes are made if the Parliamentary Counsel considers they are desirable to bring the law into line, or more closely into line, with current legislative drafting practice.
This republication does not include amendments made under part 11.3 (see endnote 1).
Uncommenced provisions and amendments
If a provision of the republished law has not commenced, the symbol U appears immediately before the provision heading. Any uncommenced amendments that affect this republished law are accessible on the ACT legislation register ( For more information, see the home page for this law on the register.
Modifications
If a provision of the republished law is affected by a current modification, the symbol M appears immediately before the provision heading. The text of the modifying provision appears in the endnotes. For the legal status of modifications, see the Legislation Act 2001, section 95.
Penalties
At the republication date, the value of a penalty unit for an offence against this law is $160 for an individual and $810 for a corporation (see Legislation Act 2001, s 133).
Discrimination Act 1991
Contents
Page
Part 1 Preliminary
1 Name of Act 2
2 Dictionary 2
3 Notes 2
4 Objects of Act 2
4AA Interpretation beneficial to people with protected attributes 3
4A Meaning of doing an act 4
5AA Meaning of disability 4
5AB Liability of person relying on assistance animal etc 6
5A Meaning of potential pregnancy 6
5B Unjustifiable hardship 7
6 MLAs as employers 7
6AOffences against Act—application of Criminal Code etc 8
Part 2 Discrimination to which Act applies
7 Protected attributes 9
8 Meaning of discrimination 11
Part 3 Unlawful discrimination
Division 3.1 Discrimination in work
10 Applicants and employees 12
11 Employees—religious practice 13
12 Commission agents 13
13 Contract workers 14
14…