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. How much control do we, as individuals, have over information that relates to us? What are the limits to providing 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 course will explore contemporary issues regarding government information management in the Australian regulatory framework. The role of confidentiality and legislative secrecy provisions, the requirements relating to personal information and other elements of privacy protection, and the operation of the FOI Act will all be examined.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
By the conclusion of this course, it is intended that students who have successfully completed all of the course requirements will be able to:- Identify, analyse and reflect on the circumstances in which information developed or held by government should be protected against disclosure
- Identify and apply the principles relating to the procedure for making a FOI request, the FOI decision making process and the application of exemptions from disclose of government held information
- Explain, distinguish and apply the key concepts of the Privacy framework applicable to government.
- Identify and critically examine (in written and/or oral form) a range of perspectives and values that are relevant to access to government information, including the future direction of FOI and privacy law in Australia
- Investigate and critically discuss whether Australia’s regulatory module is equipped to respond to contemporary issues in information management, data protection and privacy
Other Information
This is an intensive course with a 4 day compulsory intensive (see LLM timetable for dates).Approximately 6 weeks from the completion of the intensive your final assessment will be due. Contact with fellow students and the convenor, both prior to the intensive and after, is conducted via the Wattle course site
Indicative Assessment
Assessment for this course will likely consist of:- A take home assignment relating to the Privacy elements of the course (25%, approx. 2000 words)
- A take home assignment relating to the FOI elements of the course (25%, approx. 2000 words)
- A research essay on student’s choice of topic (50%, approx. 4000 words).
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
26 hours of face to face teaching (4 day intensive). The course will also require advanced preparation through assigned readings. In total, it is anticipated that the hours required for completion this course (class preparation, teaching and completion of assessment) will not exceed 120 hours.Click here for the LLM Masters Program timetable
Requisite and Incompatibility
Preliminary Reading
Students must rely on the approved Course Study Guide which will be posted to the Wattle course site approximately 4 weeks prior to the commencement of the course.
An e-brick will be available on the Wattle course site.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 3
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3420 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4878 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.