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11.03.2010
ALRC reforms strike a blow to the old culture of secrecy
Secrecy laws, and the prosecution of public servants for the unauthorised disclosure of Commonwealth information, can sit uneasily with the Australian Government’s commitment to open and accountable government. The final report of the Australian Law Reform Commission’s comprehensive review of Commonwealth secrecy laws, Secrecy Laws and Open Government in Australia (ALRC Report 112) was tabled …
Read more04.02.2010
ALRC recommends ‘two-tier’ plan for flexible, cost-effective public inquiries
Costs associated with expensive Royal Commissions could be reduced by establishing an alternative, second tier of public inquiry with proper investigatory powers and appropriate levels of transparency and protections for those involved, Australia’s leading law reform agency said today.The review of Royal Commissions and other federal inquiries by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has …
Read more11.01.2010
Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough appointed Part-time Commissioner
The Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, has announced the appointment of Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough as a part-time Commissioner of the ALRC to assist the ALRC in its current Inquiry into Family Violence. Magistrate Goldsbrough was the Victorian State Supervising Magistrate for Family Violence and Family Law for 6 years from February 2002 until December …
Read more15.12.2009
Professor Rosalind Croucher appointed new ALRC President
The Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, today announced the appointment of the ALRC’s current serving Commissioner and acting President, Professor Rosalind Croucher, for a five-year term as President of the ALRC. Professor Croucher was appointed to the ALRC as a full-time Commissioner in February 2007 and led the Inquiry into Client Legal Privilege and …
Read more30.11.2009
ALRC farewells ALRC President, Emeritus Professor David Weisbrot AM
The ALRC today farewelled Emeritus Professor David Weisbrot, the longest serving president in the ALRC’s 35-year history. Professor Weisbrot has stepped down after more than ten years in office during which time he presided over 14 inquiries. Under Professor Weisbrot’s presidency the ALRC has achieved a significant level of implementation for its reports, with over …
Read more15.09.2009
Historic first meeting of the ALRC’s Indigenous Advisory Committee
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has established an Indigenous Advisory Committee to assist in building stronger relationships with Indigenous peoples, and to ensure that the concerns and perspectives of Indigenous communities are more effectively integrated into the federal law reform process. Speaking at the historic first meeting on 19 August, ALRC President Professor David …
Read more14.08.2009
Government gives giant ‘tick’ to ALRC privacy recommendations
The Australian Law Reform Commission has welcomed today’s announcement by the federal Government that it will implement a large portion of the recommendations of the ALRC’s review of Australian privacy laws.The first stage of the Australian Government’s formal response to For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice (ALRC 108) considers 197 of the 295 …
Read more09.08.2009
ALRC calls for greater flexibility, more options for Royal Commissions and other official inquiries
A legislative framework is required to govern the establishment and operation of official inquiries at the federal level, to ensure that such inquiries have adequate investigatory powers while at the same time ensuring the protection of the rights of individuals concerned, the nation’s peak law reform agency said today.This would put what are now simply …
Read more24.07.2009
ALRC to develop national legal framework to tackle family violence
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) welcomed today’s announcement by the Commonwealth Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, of new Terms of Reference for an Inquiry to address issues concerning violence against women and their children. The Terms of Reference ask the ALRC to focus on a number of matters, including: the interaction in practice …
Read more18.06.2009
Media Briefing – Review of Secrecy Laws: Discussion Paper 74
Introduction This briefing provides an overview of the ALRC’s Discussion Paper, Review of Secrecy Laws (DP 74). On 5 August 2008, the Attorney-General of Australia, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, asked the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) to conduct an Inquiry into options for ensuring a consistent approach across government to the protection of Commonwealth information …
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