News and Media

Media releases

For media queries, please contact comms@alrc.gov.au.

12.09.2007

ALRC proposes overhaul of ‘complex and costly’ privacy laws

The Australian Law Reform Commission today released a blueprint with 301 proposals for overhauling Australia’s complex and costly privacy laws and practices.Releasing Discussion Paper 72, Review of Australian Privacy Law, ALRC President Prof David Weisbrot said it was the product of the largest public consultation process in ALRC history: “We have received over 300 submissions

Read more
12.09.2007

ALRC proposes a more comprehensive credit reporting regime

The Australian Law Reform Commission has proposed the introduction of a more comprehensive credit reporting regime, in a Discussion Paper released today as part of its major review of Australian privacy law and practice.ALRC President, Professor David Weisbrot, said that the ALRC’s review was the first Australian inquiry to recommend such a change, following extensive

Read more
16.07.2007

Promoting a healthy legal culture the focus of new Australian Academy of Law

Strengthening the ‘legal culture’ of an increasingly fragmented legal profession will be the focus of Australia’s newest ‘learned academy’, with today’s launch of the Australian Academy of Law (AAL) in Brisbane.In its landmark report on the civil justice system, Managing Justice (2000), the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) highlighted the problems associated with the lack of cohesion

Read more
12.12.2006

Timely focus on credit laws

Tuesday, 12 December 2006: As many people rely on credit to help them through the festive season, the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) today launched an Issues Paper calling for public comment on Australia ’s credit reporting system. ALRC President Prof David Weisbrot said the credit reporting provisions of the Commonwealth Privacy Act were overly

Read more
30.11.2006

Lawyer–client relationships put under ALRC microscope

Thursday, 30 November 2006: The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) says its new review of legal professional privilege could have a major impact on the way clients and lawyers will interact in future. The ALRC inquiry will concentrate on the application of legal professional privilege to the coercive information gathering powers of Commonwealth bodies—such as

Read more
09.10.2006

Computers, biometrics and Gen Y: Is privacy passé?

Monday 9 October 2006:  Do Australians feel that their privacy is adequately protected? Is it possible for privacy laws to keep up with technology such as data matching, facial recognition and even body odour measurement? Do younger people care as much about privacy as their elders? These are some of the questions being asked by

Read more
13.09.2006

Support for anti-violence measures, not ‘sedition’

13 September 2006: Media commentators, satirists, artists and activists should be safe from controversial sedition laws—even if their ideas are unpopular and confronting—as long as they don’t urge the use of violence, under changes to federal law proposed by the Australian Law Reform Commission. The ALRC report, Fighting Words: A Review of Sedition Laws in

Read more
22.06.2006

‘Same crime, same time’: ALRC calls for consistency in federal sentencing

Thursday, 22 June 2006: Australia ’s system for sentencing federal offenders should be significantly overhauled to provide greater consistency, fairness and clarity, according to a major report by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) tabled today in federal Parliament. ALRC President Professor David Weisbrot said there is compelling evidence of inconsistent treatment of federal offenders,

Read more
05.06.2006

Telemarketing, information privacy top community concerns

Monday, 5 June 2006: Three out of four callers to a National Phone-in have nominated unsolicited telemarketing as their number one privacy complaint, said the ALRC. About 1,300 people took part in the two-day phone-in last week to share their views, concerns and experiences of privacy protection. “An overwhelming majority of callers were unhappy with

Read more
02.06.2006

Telemarketing heads list of privacy concerns

Friday, 2 June 2006: Telemarketers who intrude into home life was the most common privacy grievance raised by callers on the first day of a National Privacy Phone-In, said the Australian Law Reform Commission. Almost 75% of callers raised concerns about the volume and persistence of unsolicited calls they received from telemarketers, said ALRC President

Read more