Communities and Justice

Statutory Reviews

Review of the Coroners Act 2009

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Coroners Act 2009 pursuant to section 109 of that Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the legislation remain appropriate for securring those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Act include to:

  • enable coroners to investigate certain deaths and make coronial recommendations
  • enable coroners to invesitgate certain fires and explosions that destroy or damage property
  • enable coroners to make recommendations in relation to matters in connection with an inquest of inquiry
  • provide for certain kinds of deaths or suspected deaths to be reported and to prevent death certificates being issued in relation to certain reportable deaths, and
  • prohibit the disposal of human remains without appropriate authority.

The Act can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 pursuant to section 130 of that Act and the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 pursuant to section 48 of that Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Acts remain valid and whether the terms of the Acts remain appropriate for securing these objectives.

The policy objective of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 is to open government information to the public by:

  • authorising and encouraging the proactive public release of government information by agencies, and
  • giving members of the public an enforceable right to access government information, and
  • providing that access to government information is restricted only when there is an overriding public interest against disclosure, in order to advance an open, accountable, fair and effective system of Government.

The objective of the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 is to establish an independent champion of open Government.

The review will also consider the relationship between the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

The Acts can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 pursuant to section 22 of the Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 are:

  • to protect the fundamental right of citizens to approach the courts to seek justice in accordance with the law, and
  • to preserve the efficiency of the justice system and shielding other participants in the justice system from unmeritorious actions.

The Act can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of Surrogacy Act 2010

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Surrogacy Act 2010 pursuant to section 60 of the Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Surrogacy Act 2010 remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Surrogacy Act 2010 are to:

Review of the Coroners Act 2009

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Coroners Act 2009 pursuant to section 109 of that Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the legislation remain appropriate for securring those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Act include to:

  • enable coroners to investigate certain deaths and make coronial recommendations
  • enable coroners to invesitgate certain fires and explosions that destroy or damage property
  • enable coroners to make recommendations in relation to matters in connection with an inquest of inquiry
  • provide for certain kinds of deaths or suspected deaths to be reported and to prevent death certificates being issued in relation to certain reportable deaths, and
  • prohibit the disposal of human remains without appropriate authority.

The Act can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 pursuant to section 130 of that Act and the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 pursuant to section 48 of that Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Acts remain valid and whether the terms of the Acts remain appropriate for securing these objectives.

The policy objective of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 is to open government information to the public by:

  • authorising and encouraging the proactive public release of government information by agencies, and
  • giving members of the public an enforceable right to access government information, and
  • providing that access to government information is restricted only when there is an overriding public interest against disclosure, in order to advance an open, accountable, fair and effective system of Government.

The objective of the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 is to establish an independent champion of open Government.

The review will also consider the relationship between the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

The Acts can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 pursuant to section 22 of the Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 are:

  • to protect the fundamental right of citizens to approach the courts to seek justice in accordance with the law, and
  • to preserve the efficiency of the justice system and shielding other participants in the justice system from unmeritorious actions.

The Act can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of Surrogacy Act 2010

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Surrogacy Act 2010 pursuant to section 60 of the Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Surrogacy Act 2010 remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Surrogacy Act 2010 are to:

Review of the Coroners Act 2009

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Coroners Act 2009 pursuant to section 109 of that Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the legislation remain appropriate for securring those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Act include to:

  • enable coroners to investigate certain deaths and make coronial recommendations
  • enable coroners to invesitgate certain fires and explosions that destroy or damage property
  • enable coroners to make recommendations in relation to matters in connection with an inquest of inquiry
  • provide for certain kinds of deaths or suspected deaths to be reported and to prevent death certificates being issued in relation to certain reportable deaths, and
  • prohibit the disposal of human remains without appropriate authority.

The Act can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 pursuant to section 130 of that Act and the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 pursuant to section 48 of that Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Acts remain valid and whether the terms of the Acts remain appropriate for securing these objectives.

The policy objective of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 is to open government information to the public by:

  • authorising and encouraging the proactive public release of government information by agencies, and
  • giving members of the public an enforceable right to access government information, and
  • providing that access to government information is restricted only when there is an overriding public interest against disclosure, in order to advance an open, accountable, fair and effective system of Government.

The objective of the Government Information (Information Commissioner) Act 2009 is to establish an independent champion of open Government.

The review will also consider the relationship between the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 and the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998.

The Acts can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 pursuant to section 22 of the Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 are:

  • to protect the fundamental right of citizens to approach the courts to seek justice in accordance with the law, and
  • to preserve the efficiency of the justice system and shielding other participants in the justice system from unmeritorious actions.

The Act can be viewed at the NSW legislation website. The Department of Justice invited interested individuals andorganisationsto make written submissions to the review. Submissions are now closed.

Review of Surrogacy Act 2010

The NSW Attorney General is reviewing the Surrogacy Act 2010 pursuant to section 60 of the Act. The purpose of the review is to determine whether the policy objectives of the Surrogacy Act 2010 remain valid and whether the terms of the Act remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

The policy objectives of the Surrogacy Act 2010 are to:

Rep​ort on the statutory revie​​w of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007​ [PDF, 711kb]

The Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (the Act) creates​ the legislative framework for apprehended violence orders in NSW, both apprehended domestic violence orders and apprehended personal violence orders. It allows an immediate, civil response to domestic and personal violence in a way that prioritises the future safety of the person in need of protection.

Section 104 of the Act requires a review of the Act be undertaken within three years of its assent to ensure that the terms of the Act remain appropriate to ensuring its objectives.

The focus of this statutory review was on apprehended domestic violence orders, as a separate report addressing issues concerning apprehended personal violence orders was tabled in the NSW Parliament on 10 September 2013. View the separate report addressing issues concerning apprehended domestic violence orders [PDF] (PDF, 1.1 MB).

Overall, the review concluded that the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and its terms mostly remain appropriate for securing those objectives. The report contains 17 recommendations proposing legislative amendments to improve the operation of the Act and to better protect people from domestic violence. All of the recommendations have been accepted by the NSW Government. ​

The Discussion Paper that was issued during this review is also available: Discussion Paper on the statutory review of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007

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  • Review of Civil Procedure Act 2005

    The NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice is reviewing the Civil Procedure Act 2005 (Civil Procedure Act 2005 - NSW legislation website). The Civil Procedure Act 2005 provides a legislative framework in relation to practice and procedure in civil proceedings. The review will determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the legislation remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

    The closing date for submissions was 31 March 2011.

    Review of Workplace Surveillance Act 2005

    The NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice is reviewing the Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 (Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 - NSW legislation website). The Workplace Surveillance Act 2005 provides a legislative framework in relation to the surveillance of employees at work. The review will determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the legislation remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

    The period for submissions has now closed.

    Review of Defamation Act 2005

    The NSW Department of Attorney General and Justice is reviewing the Defamation Act 2005 (Defamation Act 2005 - NSW legislation website). The Defamation Act 2005 is based on model uniform provisions agreed to by the Standing Committee of Attorneys General (available from the Australasian Parliamentary Counsel's Committee website - Model Defamation Provisions [PDF, 888kb] (PDF, 867.4 KB)). The review will determine whether the policy objectives of the Act remain valid and whether the terms of the legislation remain appropriate for securing those objectives.

    The period for submissions has now closed.

Last updated:

31 Aug 2023