Contempt, Summary (ALRC Report 35)
ALRC Report 35 was tabled in June 1987. In it’s review of contempt laws, the Commission was required to strike a balance between a number of principles including freedom of speech and expression; the right of fair trial by an impartial tribunal; public scrutiny of the operations of the court system; and the protection of …
Publications
Read moreAboriginal Customary Laws
The ALRC received terms of reference for this inquiry on 9 February 1977.During the course of the inquiry, three Discussion Papers were produced:Aboriginal Customary Law — Recognition? (ALRC DP 17) in 1980;Aboriginal Customary Law — Marriage, Children and the Distribution of Property (ALRC DP 18) in 1982; andAboriginal Customary Law — Criminal Law, Evidence and …
Inquiries
Read moreRecognition of Aboriginal Customary Laws (ALRC Report 31)
The focus of ALRC Report 31 (tabled 12 June 1986) was whether it would be desirable to apply, either in whole or in part, Aboriginal customary law to Indigenous peoples—generally or in particular areas or to those living in tribal communities only. In addition, the report addressed whether in criminal cases existing courts should be able …
Publications
Read moreDomestic violence
The ALRC received Terms of Reference for this inquiry on 29 May 1984. The final report (ALRC Report 30, tabled March 1986) examined the issue of domestic violence within the Australian Capital Territory, focusing exclusively on incidents involving adult people who were married or living in a de facto relationship.Legal institutions’ responses to instances of …
Inquiries
Read moreDomestic Violence (ALRC Report 30)
ALRC Report 30 (tabled March 1986) examined the issue of domestic violence within the Australian Capital Territory, focusing exclusively on incidents involving adult people who were married or living in a de facto relationship.Legal institutions’ responses to instances of domestic violence had been criticised on two grounds. First, police were seen as taking a dismissive …
Publications
Read moreSentencing of Federal Offenders (Interim report) (ALRC Report 15)
This interim report (tabled May 1980) outlined that there was a need for greater consistency and uniformity in sentences imposed on federal offenders, especially with regards to federal offenders who were tried in state courts, sentenced by state judicial officers and held in state prisons, although they were paroled under federal laws.Following publication of this …
Publications
Read moreSentencing of Federal Offenders (DP 15)
In 1980 the Commission published its second Discussion Paper for this inquiry: Sentencing of Federal Offenders (DP 15).
Publications
Read moreComplaints against police and supplementary report (ALRC Reports 1 & 9)
The proposals in ALRC Report 1 (tabled 7 August 1975) were substantially accepted by the then federal Government and included in the Australia Police Bill 1975.The Bill lapsed with the dissolution of Parliament in November 1975. Government policy changed and the proposal to establish an amalgamated national force of all of the Commonwealth’s police was not …
Publications
Read moreComplaints against police
The Australian Law Reform Commission received its first reference in May 1975 and issued a working paper before concluding its final report Complaints Against Policy (ALRC Report 1), tabled in federal Parliament on 7 August 1975.The proposals in ALRC Report 1 were substantially accepted by the then federal Government and included in the Australia Police Bill …
Inquiries
Read moreAlcohol, Drugs and Driving (ALRC Report 4)
ALRC Report 4 (tabled 1976) considered the problems in the application of the laws of the Australian Capital Territory designed to control the driving of motor vehicles by persons who had consumed alcohol or other intoxicating drugs.The report inquired into technical matters such as procedures and types of equipment for breath and other testing, the …
Publications
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