Australia's human rights watchdog wants taxpayers to fork out $100,000 to a New Zealand man because he was held in detention prior to his deportation.

Human Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs said the detention of Phillip Shayne Tapara, 49, breached the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Tapara was held in an immigration detention centre for 17 months after serving 31 months in prison for intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm on a pensioner on the Gold Coast in February 2009.