Discrimination and unfavourable treatment form the basis of inequality and the exclusion of citizenship in both public and private spheres. In this subject, we examine the concepts of formal and substantive equality and the limits and possibilities of Australian anti-discrimination legislation for eliminating discrimination and promoting equality within a broader societal context. We also evaluate the extent to which law itself perpetuates, or contributes to, varying forms of social inequality and regulation. The specific topics that we focus on include: race; religion; sex (including sexual harassment, and pregnancy-related discrimination); sexuality; age; and disability (including intellectual and physical impairment, as well as the controversies associated with discrimination on the grounds of obesity, mental illness and physical appearance)

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