08.07.2011
The Government responded to the Senate Committee’s report on 8 July 2011.
The Final Report was made available on 8 April 2011.
View the ALRC’s second and final submission to this Inquiry, dated 3 March 2011
View the ALRC’s first (background) submission to this Inquiry, dated 23 December 2010
The closing date for submissions to the Inquiry was 28 January 2011. Submissions received by the Committee are published on its website.
Original news release
On 23 November 2010 the Senate referred an inquiry into the Australian Law Reform Commission to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Senator Guy Barnett, Chair of the Senate Committee that will conduct the inquiry, said:
“This review of the ALRC is indeed a timely one, and is the first in 17 years*.
Over the last three years the ALRC’s resources have been stripped disproportionately to government outlays, which is putting serious law reform at risk in this country
… It is time to again review the ALRC as Australia’s premier law reform agency to ensure that it continues its vital work and maintains its reputation as a world leader.”
The Inquiry will consider:
- the ALRC’s role, governance arrangements and statutory responsibilities;
- the adequacy of ALRC staffing and resources to meet its objectives;
- best practice examples of like organisations interstate and overseas;
- the appropriate allocation of functions between the ALRC and other statutory agencies; and
- other related matters.
* Those wishing to make a submission to this inquiry may find the report of the 1994 inquiry into the role and function of the ALRC (PDF 9 MB) of interest.
President Rosalind Croucher stated:
“This Senate Inquiry into the functions and resourcing of the ALRC is timely, given that the last such review was held in 1994. A re-examination of the value that independent law reform bodies, such as the ALRC, can bring to both a government’s reform agenda and to the broader community, is particularly pertinent at this time of diminishing funding. I encourage all who value the work of the ALRC to make a submission.”
Submissions should be received by 28 January 2011. The reporting date is 31 March 2011. The ALRC will be making a submission that will be available on our website shortly.
The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.
Alternatively, written submissions may be sent to:
Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia
Notes to help you prepare your submission are available from the website at http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/wit_sub/index.htm. Alternatively, the Committee Secretariat will be able to help you with your inquiries and can be contacted on telephone +61 2 6277 3560 or facsimile +61 2 6277 5794 or by email to legcon.sen@aph.gov.au.
For further information, contact:
Committee Secretary
Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia
Phone: +61 2 6277 3560
Fax: +61 2 6277 5794
Email: legcon.sen@aph.gov.au