Gillian Triggs is an Australian academic (with a PHD in law) specialising in public international law and is the current President of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Her position directly ties her to the issue of 18C as established in the racial discrimination act of 1975.

18c legislates that it is unreasonable for anyone to commit an act that is likely to insult, humiliate or offend someone due to their ethnicity or race.

Gillian Triggs has been affiliated with the issue as there has been many complaints put forward to the Human Rights Commission many of which have been resolved via conciliation whilst a tiny amount actually made it to court.

Triggs suggests in relation to the proposal of altering 18C, that the words offend and insult should be replaced with vilify to strengthen the laws.

Triggs put forward the argument that it should be kept in place as the law has been understood and used by the courts for the past 20 years. Also telling that her commission believe it would worsen the state of affairs for the vulnerable.

Whilst there is a need to amend the provision to not only specify what could be counted as unlawful but also to allow freedom of speech, totally removing the provision would be unsuccessful in eliminating racial vilification or allowing for a peaceful country.