News and Media

Keep up to date with ALRC news and media.

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

24.08.2006

The Alex Castles Memorial Lecture 2006 – The Historical Necessity of Law Reform

Prof David Weisbrot AM, President, Australian Law Reform Commission, Flinders University Law School, 24 August 2006 The Alex Castles Memorial Legal History Lecture is a biennial series organised and sponsored by Flinders University School of Law, Adelaide, Introduction Distinguished guests, It is a very, very great honour for me to be before you this evening,

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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,

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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

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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

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30.05.2006

National phone-in to probe privacy pitfalls

Tuesday, 30 May 2006: Sick of the telemarketer’s call just as dinner is about to be served? Wondering how advertisers got hold of your name and address? Concerned that electronic links might make sensitive health information more vulnerable? Bewildered about an apparent negative credit rating? Annoyed to find a stranger taking photos of you sunbaking

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29.05.2006

‘Sedition’ should go, focus on urging violence

Monday, 29 May 2006: The term ‘sedition’ should be removed from the federal statute book, and offences urging force or violence against the government or community groups should be redrafted, the Australian Law Reform Commission said today. Releasing a Discussion Paper (DP 71) on federal sedition laws, ALRC President Professor David Weisbrot said the proposals

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10.04.2006

International law reformers ‘peering over the horizon’

Monday, 10 April 2006: What will our legal and regulatory systems need to do to manage the rapid advances in the sciences and in information technology? How will those societies facing an HIV/AIDS crisis cope when almost an entire generation is wiped out by the epidemic? What should be the regional and international response if

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20.03.2006

Are sedition laws necessary and effective?

Monday, 20 March 2006: An independent review of federal sedition laws is asking whether the controversial laws are necessary and effective. Australian Law Reform Commission President, Professor David Weisbrot, called for public comment today with the release of a community consultation paper Review of Sedition Laws (ALRC Issues Paper 30). The federal government ‘modernised’ the

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02.03.2006

Sedition law review must strike a delicate balance

Thursday, 2 March 2006: Concern to protect the security of Australians here and abroad must be balanced against the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association, in the Australian Law Reform Commission’s new inquiry into controversial federal sedition laws. ALRC President Professor David Weisbrot said that Australians place a “very high premium

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08.02.2006

Complexity, courtroom games must go in evidence shake-up

Wednesday, 8 February 2006: Australia must have a single set of streamlined, flexible evidence laws that will protect witnesses as well as parties, recognise the importance of confidential relationships, and curb legal ‘games’ in the courtroom, Australia’s peak law reform agency said today. “It is crazy that we currently have so many different evidence law

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