About the submission

1.4 This background submission is provided at an early stage in the Committee’s inquiry to provide background information for the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and other interested stakeholders.

1.5 The ALRC will make a second, more comprehensive submission after the close of public submissions on 28 January 2011. This subsequent submission will:

• address and identify the ALRC’s policy position on all matters within the Committee’s terms of reference—including its views on the optimum role, governance arrangements and statutory responsibilities for the ALRC, and corresponding resourcing implications; and

• take into account views expressed in other submissions.

1.6 This background submission is divided into five parts:

1. Introduction
2. Role, governance and statutory responsibilities
3. The approach to inquiries
4. Adequacy of staffing and resources
5. Current issues and trends.