Freedom of Information & Privacy

We are living in the Information Age!  Governments and the private sector collect and hold vast amounts of information and we each disclose information about ourselves on an almost daily basis.  

Do we, as individuals, have any control over information that relates to us?  In the interests of openness and accountability, do we have access to government held information?  On what grounds can information be shared, released, withheld and stored?

The aim of this course is to explore the way in which information is regulated in Australia by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). 

The key themes of collection, access, amendment and disclosure of information will be explored from the perspective of:

• citizens exercising their access and amendment rights
• government agencies and private sector organisations who have certain responsibilities in terms of the way information is managed; and
• those who make decisions and administer the FOI and Privacy Acts.

At the conclusion of this course students should be able to:

• demonstrate a working knowledge of the FOI and Privacy Acts
• understand the procedure for making a FOI request and the decision making process that follows
• understand the procedure for gaining access to, and amending, personal information
• make arguments in support of granting, and refusing, access to information
• apply case law and legislation to factual scenarios
• comment on, and critically discuss, the future directions of FOI and privacy law in Australia

There will be two pieces of assessment - one with a FOI theme and the other with a privacy theme.  The assessments will have equal weighting.

Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the course homepage on the ANU Law website, prior to the commencement of the course.

26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery)

Click here for the 2010 timetable

Nil.  Students are encouraged to have access to an up-to-date consolidation of the FOI and Privacy Acts as they will be needed for in-class exercises.