Secrecy Laws and Open Government in Australia (ALRC Report 112)
Official secrecy has a necessary and proper province in our system of government. A surfeit of secrecy does not.On 5 August 2008, the Attorney-General of Australia, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, asked the Australian Law Reform Commission to conduct an Inquiry into options for ensuring a consistent approach across government to the protection of Commonwealth …
Publications
Read moreALRC in the media – 2011
The ALRC monitors the media for references to the Commission and its inquiries. This list for 2011 is not comprehensive.
News/Media Release
Read moreSecrecy laws and open government
Secrecy laws that impose obligations of confidentiality on individuals handling government information—and the prosecution of public servants for the unauthorised disclosure of such information—can sit uneasily with the Australian Government’s commitment to open and accountable government. Secrecy laws have also drawn sustained criticism on the basis that they unreasonably interfere with the right to freedom …
Inquiries
Read moreReview of Secrecy Laws (DP 74)
This Discussion Paper contains a more detailed treatment of the issues raised in the Issues Paper (IP 34) and indicates the Inquiry’s thinking in the form of specific reform proposals.DP 74 is divided into 15 chapters. Proposals for reform are not spread evenly throughout. The early chapters provide mainly contextual or background material, which does not …
Publications
Read moreReview of Secrecy Laws: Inquiry Snapshot
To facilitate communication about the nature and focus of this Inquiry the ALRC released an overview document, Review of Secrecy Laws—Inquiry Snapshot, in February 2009.Itis written in plain language and provides a ready access to information about the Inquiry and is available online as a virtual document.
Publications
Read moreReview of Secrecy Laws (IP 34)
IP 34 (released December 2008) is the first consultation document produced during the course of the Secrecy Inquiry. It identifies the main issues relevant to the Inquiry, provides background information and encourages informed community participation.View IP 34 in HTML on the AustLII website.
Publications
Read moreIntegrity: but not by trust alone (ALRC Report 82)
ALRC Report 82 was tabled in federal parliament on 10 December 1996. ALRC Report 82 was the first extensive review of the Complaints (Australian Federal Police) Act 1981 (Cth), which was considered by many to be outdated and ineffective.View ALRC Report 82 in HTML on the AustLII website.This publication is available for purchase in book format.
Publications
Read moreComplaints against the Australian Federal Police and National Crime Authority
The Australian Law Reform Commission initially received a reference in March 1995 to inquire into and report on the Complaints (Australian Federal Police) Act 1981 (Cth) and the complaints and disciplinary system of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). In July 1995 the reference was extended to inquire into and report on the complaints and disciplinary …
Inquiries
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