In a time of significant changes to the privacy landscape, not least the confirmed passing by the Senate yesterday afternoon of the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement & Other Measures) Bill, 2022 to increase fines and enhance the OAIC powers (see our recent article here), further well overdue changes were also announced for the public sector. […]
ReadmoreLast Friday the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its 5th report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry. The much anticipated report deals with the competition and consumer issues raised in the Digital Platform Services Inquiry, the Digital Advertising Services Inquiry (2020-2021) and the Digital Platform Inquiry (2017-2019). Digital platforms are online spaces for […]
ReadmoreThis month’s Corruption and Integrity Update considers the progress made towards the National-Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), including where money is being directed under the latest budget; the Royal Commission into Robodebt which has just commenced public hearings; recent Queensland Integrity Reforms; and a status update from the Queensland Auditor-General. National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Joint Select Committee […]
ReadmoreAfter a number of significant and high-profile cyber incidents in the last few weeks, it was almost inevitable the Government would take steps to fast-track its privacy reform agenda by seeking to push through headline-grabbing changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). Following the Attorney’s General (AG)’s foreshadowing on 22 October, 2022, the […]
ReadmoreMost Australians are aware of the strength and quality of our nation’s research sector, particularly in fields such as life sciences and medical research. Never has this been more evident that during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Australians could, quite rightly, be proud of the role that Australians researchers played in the global efforts to develop […]
ReadmoreThe end of September saw the tabling of a series of Annual Reports to the Queensland Parliament. Within these reports were details from the various regulators operating in the occupational and professional disciplinary space that plays out across the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), the Magistrates Court of Queensland and related jurisdictions. We have […]
ReadmoreLocal governments may consider that they have a robust disciplinary process that delivers procedural fairness through show-cause processes and investigations. While such actions may be sufficient under other employment law frameworks, local governments have unique additional obligations under the Local Government Regulation 2012 (Qld) (Regulation) when determining if disciplinary action is reasonable under the Local […]
ReadmoreThis month’s Corruption & Integrity Update contains a summary of the keenly-awaited National Anti-Corruption Commission Bill, details on the proposed Federal Judicial Commission, highlights from the various annual reports recently published by a number of Queensland’s integrity agencies and provides a recap on the latest information coming out of the Commission of Inquiry into Forensic […]
ReadmoreIntroduction Social media is a fundamental tool used in individuals’ personal and professional lives. Considering the level of social interaction on online platforms, it is unsurprising that there has been an increase in employee disciplinary action, including dismissals, as a result of conduct on social media. What is surprising is that many employers still do […]
ReadmoreThe much-awaited report by the Honourable Tony Fitzgerald AC QC and the Honourable Alan Wilson QC of the Commission of Inquiry relating to the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has just been released. In our opinion, the most significant recommendation requires the Crime and Corruption Commission to seek the opinion of the Office of the […]
ReadmoreThis month’s edition of the Corruption and Integrity Update provides an update on the implementation of the recommendations arising out of the Coaldrake Report and considers recent developments in publicly-released integrity investigations. We also recap the progress towards a federal anti-corruption commission. Coaldrake Report – Updates from the 26 July 2022 Estimates Committee Hearing At […]
ReadmoreThe recent change to Australia’s Government will likely see a raft of changes. Of particular interest is whether and to what extent the new Labor Government will embrace artificial intelligence (or AI) and automated decision making (or ADM). You will recall the release of the former Coalition government’s Digital Economy Strategy (Strategy) in Budget 2021-2022. […]
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