Annual Report 2008-2009 of the Australian Law Reform Commission

The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has published its annual report for 2008-2009:

"2008–09 has been another very busy one for the ALRC, with a focus on organisational renewal and increasing productivity. Following the release in August of the landmark Privacy Report, For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice, (ALRC 108, 2008)—which involved one of the largest national and international consultation exercises in the ALRC’s history—the ALRC was referred two new inquiries: a review of Commonwealth Secrecy Laws; and a review of the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth) and related issues. Both of these major inquiries are due to be completed by the end of October 2009."

"The then Opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) went into the last federal election in November 2007 with a platform of commitment to more openness, accountability and transparency in the operation of executive government. Among other things, the ALP pledged to implement the major recommendations in the ALRC’s report on freedom of information (FOI) law and practice, Open Government (ALRC 77, 1995), as well as those in the ALRC’s review of federal sedition laws, Fighting Words (ALRC 104, 2006)."

"In some respects, the ALRC’s current review of secrecy laws represents one of the final pieces in the puzzle (a regime providing strong whistleblower protections would be another key piece), since over the past decade or so the ALRC has provided reports and recommendations to successive governments about improving FOI; privacy laws and practices; the protection of classified and security sensitive information; the preservation of archival resources; and client legal privilege in federal investigations."