Submissions
Any public contribution to an inquiry is called a submission and these are actively sought by the ALRC from a broad cross section of the community, as well as those with a special interest in the inquiry.
Submissions are usually written, but there is no set format and they need not be formal documents. It would be helpful if comments addressed specific questions or paragraphs in a particular consultation paper. Where possible, submissions in electronic format are preferred.
Open inquiry policy
In the interests of informed public debate, the ALRC is committed to open access to information. As submissions provide important evidence to each inquiry, it is common for the ALRC to draw upon the contents of submissions and quote from them or refer to them in publications. As part of ALRC policy, non-confidential submissions are made available to any person or organisation upon request following completion of an inquiry, and also may be published on the ALRC website. For the purposes of this policy, an inquiry is considered to have been completed when the final report has been tabled in Parliament.
However, the ALRC also accepts submissions made in confidence. Confidential submissions may include personal experiences where there is a wish to retain privacy, or other sensitive information (such as commercial-in-confidence material). Any request for access to a confidential submission is determined in accordance with the federal Freedom of Information Act 1982, which has provisions designed to protect sensitive information given in confidence.
In the absence of a clear indication that a submission is intended to be confidential, the ALRC will treat the submission as non-confidential.
The ALRC's Privacy Policy and Access to Reference Material Policy provide further information.
Submissions should be sent to:
The Executive Director
Australian Law Reform Commission
GPO Box 3708
SYDNEY NSW 2001
Phone: (02) 8238 6333
TTY: (02) 8238 6379
Fax: (02) 8238 6363
E-mail: info@alrc.gov.au
This page was updated 26 August 2008