Jeswynn Yogaratnam

Jeswynn Yogaratnam is a lawyer, educator and more recently the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner. He is passionate about championing equality of opportunity and poverty alleviation by eliminating discrimination. During his tenure as a law academic, Jeswynn taught International Human Rights Law and looked into the intersectional context of people with disability applying a rights-based approach. At present, Jeswynn is implementing the Positive Duty reforms in the Northern Territory with a focus on race, disability and sex discrimination. He is interested in addressing institutional racism especially in relation to First Nations Territorians through positive duty action. These reforms call for proactive engagement in the way in which businesses and organisations proactively prevent and eliminate discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation including against people with disability. Jeswynn is also the Northern Territory Principal Community Visitor under Community Visitor Program that monitors and provides advocacy for persons in places of detention such as the forensic disability unit. He is determined to achieve more equitable outcomes for persons with disability applying a social and person-centred model in service delivery.