Communities and Justice

Past consultations

The Department of Communities and Justice and its related agencies consult the NSW community on a variety of projects, services, policies and law reform. 

Here you will find a list of past public consultations, including the submissions received for each consultation, where applicable. 


You can also browse more past consulations here: 

Statutory Reviews

Draft Bills 

Discussions Papers

Regulatory Impact Statements


Past Consulations

    


  • Draft laws to better recognise the loss of an unborn child due to a criminal act
    The NSW Government is seeking feedback on the Exposure Draft of the Crimes Legislation (Offences Against Pregnant Women) Bill 2020.
    This consultation is now closed.

  • Administrative review of the Bail Act 2013
    The NSW Department of Communities and Justice is reviewing the Bail Act 2013 to determine whether the policy objectives remain valid and if the terms remain appropriate for securing those objectives.
    Submissions close on 6 August 2020.

  • Statutory review of the Crimes (Serious Crime Prevention Orders) Act 2016
    The NSW Department of Communities and Justice is conducting a review of the Crimes (Serious Crime Prevention Orders) Act 2016 to determine whether the policy objectives remain valid and the terms remain appropriate for securing those objectives.
    Submissions close on 26 May 2020.

  • Setting aside settlement agreements for past child abuse
    The NSW Government is seeking submissions on potential reforms to allow NSW courts to set aside historical settlement agreements for child abuse.
    Submissions close on 15 April 2020.

  • Statutory review of the amendments made by the Inclosed Lands, Crimes and Law Enforcement Legislation Amendment (Interference) Act 2016
    The Department of Communities and Justice is reviewing whether the policy objectives of the amendments remain valid and if the provisions, as amended, remain appropriate for securing these objectives.
    Submissions close on 1 March 2020.

  • Review of the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility
    The Council of Attorneys-General (CAG) Working Group is reviewing the age of criminal responsibility. Interested persons are invited to comment on a series of questions relevant to the Working Group's review.
    Submissions close on 28 February 2020.

  • Review of the Inspector of Custodial Services Act 2012

    The NSW Department of Communities and Justice is conducting a review of the Inspector of Custodial Services Act 2012 to determine whether its policy objectives remain valid and its terms remain appropriate for securing those objectives.
    Submissions close on 20 December 2019.

  • Review of the Graffiti Control Act 2008
    The Department of Communities and Justice is seeking feedback on the Graffiti Control Act 2008 to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and if its terms remain appropriate for securing those objectives.
    Submissions close on 10 February 2020.

  • Adoption of mandatory data breach notification

    The Department of Communities and Justice is seeking feedback on whether a mandatory reporting scheme for data breaches should be adopted under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998. Submissions close on 23 August 2019.

  • Review of Model Defamation Provisions
    The Defamation Working Party is seeking feedback on defamation law in Australia, to assess how the legal principles apply in the digital age and identify areas for national reform.
    Submissions for the Stage Discussion Paper closed on 19 May 2021.

  • Review of the Domestic Violence Justice Strategy
    The Department of Justice is seeking feedback from people who have been the victim or perpetrator of a domestic or family violence incident in the last two years. Your feedback will inform our review of the Domestic Violence Justice Strategy.
  • Justices of the Peace Framework Review
    The Department of Justice is seeking feedback on its review of the Justices of the Peace scheme in NSW. The review is considering how the scheme might be reformed to ensure that it continues to meet changing community needs, and that its operation and administration are efficient and sustainable. Submissions close on Monday, 17 September 2018.
    JP Framework review - consultation paper (PDF, 510.3 KB) (PDF, 510.3 KB) [PDF, 513kb]

  • Multicultural Plan
    The Department of Justice is seeking feedback on the development of a new Multicultural Plan. The Multicultural Plan will outline the steps that the Department of Justice will take to integrate the multicultural principles into its work and how it will engage with multicultural communities.

  • Disability Inclusion Action Plan
    The Department of Justice is seeking feedback on the development of a new Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP). The DIAP will outline the steps that the Department of Justice will take to promote disability inclusion in our services, policies programs and employment.
  • Review of the Crime Commission Act 2012
    The Crime Commission Act 2012 is being reviewed to determine if the whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.
    Submissions close on Monday, 20 August 2018.

  • Independent Review: Bega Valley Fire
    The Final Report of the Bega Valley Fires Independent Review and the Government Response to the Recommendations of the Bega Valley Fire Independent Review are published on the Office of Emergency Management website.
  • The Steering Committee on the NSW Public Purpose Fund (PPF) was asked to make recommendations for the optimising the funds available for disbursement by the PPF, via increasing the funds flowing into the PPF and/or increasing the returns generated by those funds, and any other potential refinements to the operation of the fund to ensure the appropriate disbursement and stewardship of its assets.

  • Review into the Royal Prerogative of Mercy
    The Royal prerogative of mercy is a broad discretionary power exerciseable by the Governor on the advice of the Attorney General. The review into the prerogative considers whether the petitions for mercy and their outcomes should be made publicly available, and if so, what material should be made publicly available, and why it should be made available.
  • Statutory review of the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act 2002
    The The Office of Emergency Management, Department of Justice, is seeking submissions regarding the fire services response to the bushfire which occurred in Bega Valley on 18 March 2018. Terrorism (Police Powers) Act 2002 confers special powers on police officers to respond to terrorist activity and terrorist attacks. Section 36 of the Act requires the Attorney General to undertake a review of the Act in order to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives. The Department of Justice is conducting the review on behalf of the Attorney.

  • Review of community legal centre (CLC) services
    The NSW Attorney General has announced a review of NSW Government support for Community Legal Centres (CLCs) in NSW. The aim of the review is to ensure that legal assistance is directed to people most in need, improve CLC service provision and assist the NSW Government in settling an approach to funding allocation.
  • Strengthening child sexual abuse laws in NSW
    The NSW Government has prepared a discussion paper that identifies issues and poses questions about possible options for child sexual abuse law reform. The paper considers the recommendations made by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in its Criminal Justice Report, released in August 2017, and the recommendations of the NSW Parliament's Joint Select Committee on Sentencing of Child Sexual Assault Offenders.

​​​Ongoing consul​​​​tation and feedback

Last updated:

17 Jul 2023