Revitalising Public Law in a Technological Era: Rights, Transparency and Administrative Justice
University of New South Wales Law Journal, Vol. 43, No. 3, 2020, p.1041
Monash University Faculty of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 3689497
37 Pages Posted: 15 Oct 2020
Date Written: July 31, 2020
Abstract
This article examines how public law should be revitalised in light of the increasing use of technology in government decision-making. As the recent controversy concerning the implementation of an automated debt recovery system by the Department of Social Services illustrates, the automation of government decision-making engages fundamental legal principles such as transparency, procedural fairness and reviewability. The use of technology in administrative decision-making in Australia therefore raises a number of critical, and interlocking, questions: Is Australian public law fit for purpose to protect individual rights in automated governmental decisionmaking? If not, what reforms are necessary and how should they be instituted? This article will consider these issues in relation to three specific areas of public law: privacy law, freedom of information, and judicial review. In doing so, it sets out concrete recommendations for the revitalisation of Australian public law so that it may become more value-compliant and consistent with emerging international best practice standards.
Keywords: public law, automated decision-making, judicial review, administrative justice, privacy law, freedom of information, law and technology, artificial intelligence
JEL Classification: K10, K39, K40, K49
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation