Administrative Law

Freedom of Information

Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)

Information held by Commonwealth government departments and agencies may be obtained by relying on the rights contained in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) as amended (FOI Act (Cth)). Under the FOI Act (Cth) any individual, regardless of whether they are a party to a dispute or affected by a Commonwealth government decision, may obtain access to any document held by a Commonwealth government agency, unless the document or part of the document falls into one of the exemptions or exclusions contained in the FOI Act (Cth). It is not necessary to have "standing" of the kind required to succeed with a request under the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (Cth). In general, an applicant's identity or reasons for seeking access to documents are considerations irrelevant to an access decision (although there are some exceptions to this proposition).

For further information see FreedomOfInformation, in particular Freedom of Information at Commonwealth Level.

General enquiries

Under the Administrative Arrangements Order of 3 December 2007, responsibility for privacy and freedom of information, including administration of the Privacy Act 1988 and the Freedom of Information Act 1982, was transferred from the Attorney-General's portfolio to the portfolio of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Privacy and FOI Branch. For contact details, see Contacts, Links and Resources.