Fractured families, fragmented responsibilities—responding to family violence in a federal system
Presentation by Professor Rosalind Croucher**, President, Australian Law Reform Commission, AIFS Seminar, 9 November 2010 Abstract: The problems of the division of responsibility between the Commonwealth and the states and territories are considerable—and the greatest impact is in relation to children. In 2002 the Family Law Council considered that ‘There is no greater problem in …
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Read moreObituary for Ian Davis 1958–2010
It is with immeasurable sadness that the ALRC acknowledges that its much loved former Commissioner, Ian Peter Davis, passed away suddenly on 15 May 2010, at a swimming event in Noosa. Ian was a distinguished leader in law reform, highly respected for his talents both nationally and internationally. Ian served as a full-time Commissioner of …
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Read morePresident’s Overview
It gives me great pleasure to present my first Annual Report as President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC). The past year has been one of significant change, but also one of great productivity and achievement, in fact one of the busiest for the ALRC in recent times. We have released two final Reports …
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Read moreProvocation
421. The Older Law. At common law and under the Codes, murder will be reduced to manslaughter if the act which caused death was done in the heat of passion, involving a loss of self-control which was caused by provocation sufficient to deprive an ‘ordinary person’ of self-control.[24] Provocation was developed as a defence in …
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Read moreThe Commission’s Program
9. Field Trips. In the initial stages of the Reference field trips were undertaken principally to gain as much information as possible. Later trips also had this function, but in addition they allowed tentative proposals to be put to people and organisations for consideration and discussion. Field trips have covered the top end of the …
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Read moreSocial consequences of parentage testing
Potential impact on social relationships35.20 An underlying theme in the discussion of parentage testing is whether the law should emphasise biological parentage over social parentage in matters of parental responsibility, child support, succession and so on.[7] Before the availability of serological and DNA parentage testing, it was difficult to determine with scientific accuracy the biological …
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Read moreALRC 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 …
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Read moreALRC revisits the legal rights of children and young people in Australia
It is now a little over ten years since the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (now the Australian Human Rights Commission) released the landmark 1997 report Seen and Heard: Priority for Children in the Legal Process (ALRC Report 84). Seen and Heard represented the culmination of a …
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Read moreEmeritus Professor David Weisbrot AM
Emeritus Professor David Weisbrot was President of the Australian Law Reform Commission from June 1999 to November 2009. Completed inquiries during his term include reviews of the federal civil justice system (Managing Justice, 2000); the Marine Insurance Act 1909 (2001); The Judicial Power of the Commonwealth (2001); the use of civil and administrative penalties in …
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Read moreAI Transparency Statement
Last updated: 19 February 2026. The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Policy for the responsible use of AI in government requires agencies to designate AI accountable officials and publish a public AI transparency statement. This page provides details of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC)’s implementation of these requirements. Accountable Official The ALRC has an AI Accountable Official under the …
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