The Prime Minister has confirmed there will "clearly be a new President" of the Human Rights Commission when Gillian Triggs' term ends next year.
Malcolm Turnbull made the comments on 2GB radio but did not divulge whether Professor Triggs was in the loop on her future.
"People cannot expect to have their terms renewed," Malcolm Turnbull said.
"You serve in an office like this, you serve your term [and] sometimes if people want to have it renewed that might be renewed."
The prime minister said in this case "there will be a new president of the Human Rights Commission".
Professor Gillian Triggs has been in the role since 2012 and has regularly been in a war of words with conservative members of the Government, mainly over the government's immigration detention laws.
Recently, the Turnbull Government attacked the Human Right's Commission for its handling of "race-hate" complaints.
"She holds an independent statutory office, she wasn't appointed by me or indeed the Coalition," the prime minister said.
"It's not productive for me to get into a slanging match with her, obviously she's got to defend and justify her own conduct."
A spokesman for the Human Right's Commission told SBS News Professor Triggs would not be commenting or responding to Mr Turnbull's comments.
Previous Human Rights Commission presidents have typically served only one term last about four or five years.
There had been no public suggestion that Professor Triggs was seeking a second term as the Commission president.
