AustLII [Home] [Databases] [Search] [WorldLII] [Feedback] [Help] Related Links

Privacy Policy

 * Other Policies
* FAQ: Please remove my case
* Disclaimers
You are here: AustLII >> About AustLII >> Privacy Policy

Last updated: 31 July 2003

AustLII's privacy policies are based on respect for international standards of information privacy protection and are in accordance with Australian privacy laws including the New South Wales Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 insofar as it is applicable to AustLII.

AustLII is a joint facility of the University of Technology, Sydney and the University of New South Wales. Information about individuals provided to AustLII staff in that capacity is provided to both Universities. The general web site privacy policies of our Universities may be found in the UTS Privacy Statement  and UNSW Privacy Statement . AustLII's privacy policies are consistent with those of our Universities, and the UTS and UNSW Privacy Statements should be read in conjunction with this Privacy Policy. This document sets out privacy policies particular to the operation of the AustLII website.

AustLII collects information about individuals for the purpose of operating the AustLII free access web site <www.austlii.edu.au> and also to operate the WorldLII free access website <www.worldlii.org>, and for directly related purposes including educational purposes arising from AustLII's role as part of two Universities. References to 'AustLII' in this document also apply to the WorldLII website.

AustLII collects two main categories of information about individuals, further details of which are set out below:
A. Information concerning usage of AustLII
B. Information about individuals contained in AustLII databases

A. Information concerning usage of AustLII

A1. AustLII collects information which identifies, for each page accessed on AustLII, the network identity of the machine which has accessed it. AustLII retains this usage information for purposes of network analysis, usage analysis, and research into usage patterns for the purpose of improving AustLII services. Access to and use of this information is restricted to AustLII management and staff, and to researchers working on AustLII projects and subject to an agreement to adhere to this Privacy Policy.

A2. AustLII does not disclose or publish information which identifies individual machines,or potentially identifying sub-groupings of addresses, unless we obtain consent or otherwise in accordance with legal requirements. AustLII does publish aggregated information about usage patterns.

A3. AustLII may also gather more extensive information that stated above (i) about any attempted access to AustLII which raise security issues (and, where necessary, to make disclosures to relevant authorities); and (ii) for network analyses on an occasional basis. AustLII may also collect and use more extensive information about individuals in the circumstances set out under 'Exceptions to the Rule' in the UNSW Privacy Statement .

A4. If you contact AustLII via email (at our Feedback address or otherwise) we will only use your email address and any information about individuals you provide to us for the purposes for which the information is provided. It will not be added to a mailing list without your consent.

A5. Cookies are not used by AustLII to collect information.

B. Information about individuals contained in AustLII databases

B1. Some AustLII databases contain information about individuals, including the decisions of Courts and Tribunals, and the reports of Royal Commissions. AustLII publishes these databases with the consent of the public bodies concerned. It is the responsibility of the public bodies which provide these databases to AustLII to determine, subject to the requirements of the laws under which they operate, the appropriate balance between the privacy interests of individuals and the public interests in dissemination of the information. In particular, if information about individuals is to be anonymised before publication, or after publication due to factors such as spent convictions legislation, this is done by the public body concerned. AustLII complies with applicable legal restrictions on publication, but does not and can not censor part or all of the information provided by these public bodies for publication.

B2. AustLII does not give a general consent to the contents of these databases being indexed by other web sites. AustLII attempts to prevent such indexing occurring by placing these database outside the permitted scope of web 'crawlers', 'robots' or 'spiders' that adhere to the voluntary Robot Exclusion Standard. AustLII makes an exception to this general rule in some cases to allow other law web sites to index selected AustLII databases.

AustLII also monitors whether any robots attempt to index these databases in disregard of this Standard, and takes steps to exclude any that do so from any access to AustLII.

B3. AustLII users should note that there are legal limitations on the use, publication and dissemination of some information about individuals contained in AustLII databases, either relating specifically to certain databases (eg section 121 of the Family Law Act 1975) or relating to material found in any databases (eg Commonwealth and State laws concerning juvenile offenders or sexual offences). There is also legislation in most Australian jurisdictions providing limited protection against the disclosure of old convictions (often after a period of ten years) provided that the person concerned has not been re-convicted within that period ('spent convictions').

B4. Other legal publishers (both online and in print, free access and commercial) publish the same cases as are included on AustLII. If any person considers that  any case in an AustLII database may contain information which it should not include, AustLII suggests that they should contact the Registrar of the Court or Tribunal concerned, setting out the reasons why there is information in a case which should not be published. The Court or Tribunal is then in a position to inform all previous recipients of the case of any matters that need to be changed.

B5. If a person informs AustLII (or AustLII becomes aware from any other source)  that any case (or other document) in an AustLII database may contain information which it should not include, AustLII adopts the following procedure:

  • AustLII will bring the matter to the attention of the Court or Tribunal (or other body) concerned  and will obtain its advice concerning whether the case is to be removed, is to be replaced by an alternative version of the case (including an anonymised version in some situations), or is to remain as it currently stands.
  • In all instances to date, AustLII has followed the advice provided by the Court or Tribunal.

    • C. Contact and other information

    AustLII may be contacted at this address: Australasian Legal Information Insitute, c/- Faculty of Law, University of Technology, Sydney, Box 123 Broadway NSW 2007.

    If you wish to contact AustLII concerning this policy you are also welcome to send email to our Feedback address <feedback@austlii.edu.au>.

    Due to the developing nature of privacy principles for online communication, this policy may be modified or expanded in light of new developments or issues that may arise from  time to time. The amended policy will be posted to this site and will operate from the time it is posted.

    AustLII: Copyright Policy | Privacy Policy | Disclaimers | Feedback
    URL: http://www.austlii.edu.au/austlii/privacy.html