2023

In 2023, our core federal policy areas are:

Further information about our federal policy areas can be viewed under 'Our work'.

Below is a listing of all of the ALA's submissions in 2023.

Submission To Date

Human Rights / Justice | National

Human Rights Commission Amendment (Costs Protection) Bill 2023

Power To Prevent Coalition submission, to which the ALA is a signatory (9 January 2024)

Hearing testimony from Shaun Marcus (31 January 2024), pp.14-19

Questions on notice correspondence (5 February 2024)

Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Report

22 December

Compensation / Justice | Victoria

Inquiry into the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic)

Integrity and Oversight Committee, Parliament of Victoria 21 December

Justice | Queensland

Inquiry into Youth Justice Reform in Queensland

Youth Justice Reform Select Committee, Queensland Parliament 21 December

Justice | National

Public sector whistleblowing: Stage 2 reforms

Federal Attorney-General's Department 20 December

Human Rights / Justice | ACT

Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2023 (ACT)

Select Committee on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2023, ACT Legislative Assembly

Report

8 December

Justice | Tasmania

Supreme Court (Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry) Bill 2023

Tasmanian Government 7 December

Human Rights, Justice & ATSI Justice | National

Open letter – Implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Australia

Parliament of Australia 6 December

Human Rights | National

A federal Human Rights Act: The case for a legislative human rights instrument in Australia

ALA Policy Paper 6 December

Human Rights / Justice | National

Power2Prevent joint statement: A huge step forward in access to justice in discrimination claims

The Commonwealth Government 5 December

Compensation / Justice | National

Aviation Green Paper

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts 29 November

Justice | National

Achieving Greater Consistency in Laws for Financial Enduring Powers of Attorney

Federal Attorney-General's Department 28 November

Compensation | Queensland

Current factors and trends influencing the cost of insurance under Queensland's CTP insurance scheme

Motor Accident Insurance Commission, Queensland 27 November

Compensation / Justice | Queensland

Recommendations arising from Stakeholder Reference Group meetings 1, 2 and 3

Office of Industrial Relations, Queensland 23 November

Human Rights / Justice | National

Legalising Cannabis Bill 2023

Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs 2 November

Compensation / Justice | Queensland

Table of Costs Review 2023

WorkCover Queensland 26 October

Human Rights / Compensation | Queensland

Victims of Crime Assistance and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

Community Support and Services Committee, Queensland Parliament

Report

26 October

Human Rights / Justice | Queensland

Criminal Law (Coercive Control and Affirmative Consent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

Legal Affairs and Safety Committee, Queensland Parliament

Report

24 October

Human Rights / Justice | ACT

Disability Inclusion Bill 2023 (ACT)

Ms Suzanne Orr MLA, ACT Government Whip and Member for Yerrabi 20 October

Human Rights / Justice | National

Review of the Counter-Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (Cth)

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security

Report

5 October

Justice | National

Response to PwC – Whistleblower protections: Exposure Drafts of the Treasury Laws Amendment (Measures for Consultation) Bill 2023 (Cth) and Treasury Laws Amendment (Measures for Consultation) Regulations 2023 (Cth)

The Treasury 4 October

Human Rights, Justice & ATSI Justice | Northern Territory

Inquiry into a Process to Review Bills for their Impact on First Nations Territorians

Hearing testimony from Cathy Spurr, pp.17-20

Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory 28 September

Justice | NSW

The implementation of Portfolio Committee No. 2 recommendations relating to workforce issues, workplace culture and funding considerations for remote, rural and regional health

Legislative Assembly Select Committee on Remote, Rural and Regional Health (Parliament of NSW)

22 September

Justice | National

Statutory Declarations Amendment Bill 2023 (Cth)

Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, Parliament of Australia

Report

22 September

Human Rights / Justice | National

Open letter on whistleblower protections

The Prime Minister, Attorney-General and Ministers for Defence and the Public Service 13 September

Compensation / Justice | NSW

2023 Review of the Workers Compensation Scheme

Standing Committee on Law and Justice, Legislative Council, Parliament of NSW

Report

Government response

8 September

Compensation, Human Rights & Justice | National

Foundations of a New Aged Care Act

The Department of Health and Aged Care, Australian Government 7 September

Compensation / Justice | Queensland

Treatment, care and support guidelines

National Injury Insurance Scheme Agency, Queensland 1 September

Human Rights | National

Guidelines for appointments to the Australian Human Rights Commission

Federal Attorney-General's Department 22 August

Compensation / Justice | National

The National Disability Insurance Scheme: Recommendations in response to the What we have heard report

What we have heard report

Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS Review)

Final Report (December 2023)

21 August

Human Rights | National

Communications Legislation Amendment (Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation) Bill 2023

Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts 21 August

Compensation / Human Rights | Western Australia

An inquiry into the options available to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse in Western Australia who are seeking justice

Hearing testimony from Graham Droppert SC, Eleanor Scarff and Sara Connor-Stead

WA Parliament Community Development and Justice Standing Committee

Report

17 August

Compensation, Justice & ATSI Justice | NSW

Birth trauma

Select Committee on Birth Trauma, Legislative Council, Parliament of NSW 10 August

Justice | National

Modernising Document Execution: Consultation on Proposed Reform to the Execution of Commonwealth Statutory Declarations

Federal Attorney-General's Department 28 July

Justice | Queensland

Integrity and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

Economics and Governance Committee, Queensland Parliament

Report

18 July

Human Rights, Justice & ATSI Justice | National

Inquiry into Australia's Human Rights Framework

Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights 30 June

Justice | Queensland

Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

Legal Affairs and Safety Committee, Queensland Parliament

Report

22 June

Compensation | Western Australia

Workers' Compensation and Injury Management Bill 2023

WA Minister and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations 9 June

Human Rights / Justice | ACT

Justice (Age of Criminal Responsibility) Legislation Amendment Bill 2023

ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety

Report

5 June

Human Rights | Victoria

The independent review of compulsory treatment criteria and alignment of decision-making laws

Independent Review Panel (Victorian Government) 2 June

Compensation / Justice | National

Administrative Review Reform

Federal Attorney-General's Department 12 May

Compensation / Human Rights | National

Veterans’ Legislation Reform Consultation Pathway

The Department of Veterans' Affairs 11 May

Human Rights / Justice | National

Improving Access to Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2023

Senate Standing Committees on Community Affairs

Report

3 May

Human Rights / Justice | Tasmania

Decriminalising Personal Drug Use Bill 2023 (Tas)

Dr Rosalie Woodruff, MP for Franklin 3 May

Human Rights / Justice | South Australia

Legalisation of medicinal cannabis

SA Parliament Joint Committee on the Legalisation of Medicinal Cannabis 27 April

Human Rights, Justice & ATSI Justice | National

Constitution Alteration (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice) 2023

Joint Select Committee on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum

Report

21 April

Compensation | Queensland

2023 Review of Queensland’s Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme

Motor Accident Insurance Commission (Qld)

20 April

Human Rights, Justice & ATSI Justice | Tasmania

Inquiry into Tasmanian Adult Imprisonment and Youth Detention Matters

Tasmanian Legislative Council Sessional Committee Government Administration B

17 April

Justice | National

Open letter: Time for equal access in discrimination claims

Federal Attorney-General's Department 14 April

Justice | National

Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Protecting Worker Entitlements) Bill 2023 [Provisions]

Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment

Report

14 April

Justice | Western Australia

Project 113 – Sexual offences

Law Reform Commission of Western Australia 12 April

Human Rights / Justice | National

Consultation: Review into an appropriate cost model for Commonwealth antidiscrimination laws

Federal Attorney-General's Department 11 April

Human Rights / Justice | ACT

Voluntary Assisted Dying

ACT Government

Report

5 April

Human Rights / Justice | National

Government response to the Privacy Act Review Report 2023

Federal Attorney-General's Department

Report

28 March

Human Rights, Justice & ATSI Justice | Queensland

Path to Treaty Bill 2023, joint submission with ANTAR and ANTaR Queensland

Queensland Parliament Community Support and Services Committee

Report

23 March

Human Rights / Justice | National

Open letter: Reform of Australia’s discriminatory migration health laws

Federal Parliament 21 March

Human rights / Justice | Tasmania

Tasmanian national preventive mechanism Implementation project Consultation paper 1

Tasmanian Government 16 March

Compensation / Justice | National

Aviation White Paper Terms of Reference

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts 9 March

Compensation / Justice | Queensland

2023 Review of the Operation of the Queensland Workers' Compensation Scheme

Queensland Workers' Compensation Regulatory Services, Office of Industrial Relations

Report

7 March

Justice | Queensland

Review of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2010 (Qld)

The Honourable Alan Wilson KC and the Queensland Government’s Department of Justice and Attorney-General

Report

24 February

Human rights / Justice / ATSI justice | Queensland

Strengthening Community Safety Bill 2023

Queensland Parliament Economics and Governance Committee

Report

23 February

Human rights / Justice | National

Religious Educational Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws

The Australian Law Reform Commission

Background Paper 1: International Comparisons (November 2023)

Background Paper 2: What We Heard (November 2023)

Final report

23 February

Justice / ATSI Justice | National

Scoping the Establishment of a Federal Judicial Commission

The Attorney-General’s Department 21 February

Compensation / Justice | National

Access to offenders’ superannuation for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

The Federal Treasury 15 February

Justice | National

Inquiry into the Public Interest Disclosure Amendment (Review) Bill 2022

Hearing testimony by Graham Droppert SC representing the ALA (pp.17-25)

Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee

Report

19 January