Corporate Plan 2006-2008
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Our Vision
Just, fair and efficient laws that reflect and advance the nation’s social and economic interests.
Outcome Statement
The development and reform of aspects of the laws of Australia to ensure that they are equitable, modern, fair and efficient.
Our Approach
We will achieve this outcome by:
- Undertaking high quality research, analysis and writing;
- Undertaking extensive public consultation;
- Communicating our law reform program to the community and contributing to discussions on law reform issues;
- Developing working relationships with government agencies, community groups, industry and professional associa tions and other law reform bodies with an interest in our area of work;
- Monitoring and assessing our performance in order to improve our effectiveness;
- Adhering to best practice in corporate governance; and
- Assisting our staff to reach their potential through a supportive and professional work environment.
Goals and Strategies
1. To provide effective, independent and timely expert advice to the Attorney-General and Parliament
Strategies
(a) Undertake and complete inquiries referred by the Attorney-General by:
- researching and analysing to the highest professional standards the legal, social and economic issues raised by each reference;
- publishing and making accessible high quality community consultation documents;
- consulting all relevant sectors of the community and experts interested in the inquiry; and
- reporting the findings and recommendations of the inquiry by the agreed date.
(b) Advise the Attorney-General on the priorities for law reform in Australia by:
- providing regular briefings on law reform issues suitable for reference.
(c) Respond to inquiries undertaken by Parliamentary Committees and other bodies on the law reform issues raised in those inquiries by:
- making submissions on issues on which the Commission has reported, or is reporting, and in respect of which the Commission has acquir ed and retained special expertise or experience in the course of discharging its functions.
2. To ensure broad based consultation in developing recommendations for reform.
Strategies
(a) Provide for general community involvement in the Commission’s inquiries by:
- establishing and maintaining good communication with all interested sectors of the community during the Commission’s inquiry consultations and other work;
- conducting targeted consultations with key stakeholders;
- taking into account any special needs of interested individuals or groups in the design of consultation processes; and
- seeking and responding to feedback from participants on the Commission’s inquiries and procedures.
(b) Continually improve community awareness of current inquiries by:
- developing and imple menting communication strategies for each inquiry;
- use of a range of communication channels, including printed material, email, the internet and mass media; and
- regular contributions to external journals.
3. To promote the role of law reform
Strategies
(a) Participate in and promote community debate and analysis of law reform issues by:
- facilitating discussion of national and international law reform issues through the ALRC’s journal ‘Reform’;
- respo nding to inquiries from the media and the general public about law reform issues about which the ALRC has expertise; and
- participating in seminars and conferences relevant to the Commission’s work.
(b) Continually improve access to information on the Commission’s work by:
- providing information on the Commission’s findings and recommendations to political leaders, the legal profession, government agencies, business leaders and peak community bodies;
- maintaining an up-to-date, accessible and informative website;
- making Commission publications available in a range of accessible formats; and
- publicising the Commission’s work at appropriate community events and through other organisations such as universities and professional associations.
(c) Supporting collaboration between law reform bodies by:
- working with Australian state and territory law reform bodies on projects of common interest;
- providing information and assistance to law reform bodies in developing countries, in particular those in the Asia-Pacific region;
- establishing bilateral collaborative arrangements with overseas law reform bodies to facilitate the exchange of information on law reform and to provide opportunities for staff development;
- participating in relevant regional and international organisations, including the Commonwealth Association of Law Reform Agencies.