6-8 William Street, Nambour, Sunshine Coast

Discrimination Solicitors

Sunshine Coast Discrimination Solicitors

If you feel that you have been discriminated against and would like to contract the services of an experienced workplace discrimination lawyer, you’re in the right place. Butler McDermott’s discrimination lawyers on the Sunshine Coast have many years of experience in defamation law, and can be of great assistance.

Protection under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld

Discrimination is the exclusion, restriction, distinction or preference of a person because of a particular attribute that person has, or does not have which results in the person being dealt with unfairly or differently to another person on that basis.

In Queensland, the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) prohibits discrimination on the attributes of sex, relationship status, pregnancy, parental status, breastfeeding, age, race, impairment, religious belief, political belief, trade union activity, lawful sexual activity, gender identity, sexuality and family responsibilities. It also prohibits discrimination of person associated with, or related to a person with those attributes.

For protection under the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) the discrimination must have occurred during work (or applying for a job or promotion), whilst in education, when being provided with goods or services, when dealing with land or accommodation, when dealing with membership of clubs and perhaps most importantly, when dealing with administration of State and local government.

The Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) recognises both direct and in-direct discrimination.

Direct discrimination is normally quite obvious and easy to recognise, perhaps you may have been told in an interview that you are not suitable for a job because of your gender, race, sexuality or that you have children for instance.

More difficult to recognise is in-direct discrimination which unfairly treats person’s with a particular attribute in their general policies or rules, perhaps a business has a policy of only hiring persons of a particular height, or refuses to allow part-time work, which unfairly disadvantages certain groups.

Not all acts that cause disadvantage to a certain group with an identifiable attribute will be discriminatory, there must be a reasonable approach taken to what amounts to discrimination and what does not.

Ordinarily a complaint may first be made the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland. However, where that outcome is not satisfactory, legal proceedings can be filed to obtain a remedy, such as an apology and/or compensation.

Meet Our Discrimination Law team

Butler McDermott’s discrimination lawyers on the Sunshine Coast have many years of experience in defamation law, and can be of great assistance.

Peter Boyce

Consultant

Peter has been practising as a Nambour Solicitor since 1977 and joined Butler McDermott Lawyers the same year.

With over 40 years practicing as a Sunshine Coast lawyer, Peter has extensive knowledge of various facets of law.

He has practised in all areas of litigation and has special interests in:

  • Criminal law
  • Civil and Commercial litigation
  • Retirement Village matters
  • Sports law
  • Resumption of land and compensation claims

 

Peter has specialised knowledge of and experience with resumption matters as a result of the Traveston Dam project, road corridors, Main Roads and water pipeline. He is renowned for his professional approach and is an experienced and determined advocate.

Brent King

Solicitor/Director

Brent works as a litigation lawyer, providing litigation legal advice in relation to both civil and criminal law matters, including:
  • Defamation Claims
  • Contract and Debt Disputes
  • Building and Construction Disputes
  • Planning Matters
  • Criminal Law and Traffic Legal Matters
Having grown up on the Sunshine Coast and joining Butler McDermott after the completion of his studies, Brent appreciates the needs of our clients, and brings a particularly commercial approach to litigation. Brent is a member of the Queensland Law Society and the Sunshine Coast Law Association, and has litigated a wide variety of matters in the Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts.

Al Upton

Solicitor/Director

After arriving at Butler McDermott Lawyers in 2016, Al quickly progressed to running our Wills and Estates section and has successfully litigated disputes in the Supreme and District Courts of Queensland in the early stages of his career.

In the years that followed Al has now moved to assist our clients with commercial and property matters having achieved positive outcomes in that area as well as general litigation. Al’s experience has him uniquely placed to provide quality advice in the areas of property, commercial, wills and estates and general litigation.

Al is involved in giving back to the community, sitting on the board for the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and Sundale Community Foundation. He otherwise became a director of Butler McDermott Lawyers in November 2021.