08.04.2011
Issue 1 | 8 April 2011 View original format
Welcome to the Inquiry
Welcome to the first e-newsletter for the Censorship and Classification Inquiry. We will use this e-newsletter as a way to keep stakeholders, including the community and industry, informed about the progress of the Inquiry and to seek input on an ongoing basis.
We are planning to release a number of consultation papers from mid-2011, to encourage informed community participation in the Inquiry and submissions to the Inquiry. These may include an issues paper providing background information and highlighting the issues identified by the ALRC as relevant to the Inquiry, followed by a Discussion Paper containing a more detailed treatment of the issues and indicating the ALRC’s current thinking in relation to reform proposals.
In the meantime, we will undertake a number of targeted consultation strategies including face to face meetings with key stakeholders around the country and a number of expert forums. We will also, from mid-June, establish an online discussion space for public debate around issues we are considering.
As with all ALRC inquiries, the process works best with as much stakeholder participation as possible. The integrity of ALRC processes, and ultimately our recommendations, is underpinned by the participation of stakeholders. So, please let others know about this new inquiry and encourage them to sign up to this e-newsletter, and make submissions to the consultation paper/s when they are released.
Terms of Reference
On 24 March 2011 the Attorney-General announced the Terms of Reference for this inquiry into the effectiveness of the National Classification Scheme in Australia and to explore options for reform.
View Terms of Reference >>
The reporting date for the ALRC is 30 January 2012.
Related Inquiries
As referred to in the Terms of Reference, there are a number of concurrent Commonwealth reviews covering matters related to the ALRC Inquiry. They include:
- Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee inquiry into the Australian film and literature classification scheme
- Convergence Review Committee inquiry
- House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs inquiry into the regulation of billboard and outdoor advertising.
The ALRC will endeavour not to duplicate unnecessarily the work of these inquiries.
New commissioner to join the Inquiry
On 11 February 2011 the federal Attorney-General published an item in the Australian Financial Review, “ALRC performs vital role”. The article outlined the Gillard government’s support for the ALRC and stated that it will “appoint a full-time commissioner to lead the inquiry into classification, a particularly technical area of law that will benefit from the input of subject matter expertise”. The Attorney-General has since confirmed that this will happen and that an announcement about the appointment will be made shortly.