Privacy and the Census (ALRC 12) and Privacy (ALRC 22)
The Australian Law Reform Commission received a wide-ranging reference on privacy from the federal Attorney-General in April 1976. At the same time, public controversy arose in relation to certain aspects of the census to be held on 30 June 1976, therefore, the Attorney-General requested that the implications of the census for individual privacy be taken into account in the Commission's general reference.
The ALRC released a discussion paper Privacy and the Census (DP 8) in 1978 and its first report, Privacy and the Census (ALRC 12), was tabled in federal Parliament in November 1979.
At the same time, work was continuing on the main privacy reference, with the release of two discussion papers Privacy and Publication - Proposals for Protection (DP 2) in 1977 and Privacy and Intrusions (DP 13) in 1980.
The second report Privacy (ALRC 22) was tabled in December 1983.
There has been substantial implementation of the recommendations of both reports.
Media Releases relating to this inquiry: