Purpose
This policy describes how the Victorian Law Reform Commission collects, holds and uses personal information that you share with us. It also describes how we make sure information is accurate and secure.
Protecting your privacy and your personal information is an important aspect of the way we create, organise and implement our activities.
All personal information collected and held by the Victorian Law Reform Commission is managed in accordance with the Information Privacy Principles in the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and as required by other laws. The Commission is required by law to have a policy on how we handle personal information.
For information about how we handle personal information on our website, see our Website Information Privacy Policy.
What is personal information?
‘Personal information’ is recorded information about a living person who is identified or is easily able to be identified. This includes work-related information or images.
‘Sensitive information’ is a kind of personal information. It is information about a living person’s race or ethnicity, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual preferences or practices, criminal record or membership details (such as trade union, professional or political associations).
‘Health information’ is information about a living or deceased individual’s physical, mental or psychological health.
What sort of personal information do we collect?
We receive and collect a variety of information in different ways. We may collect personal information from you when you:
- send us a letter or email
- make a phone call or meet with us in person
- subscribe to our mailing list
- make a submission or enquiry via our website
- make a written submission on a law reform project
- attend a consultation meeting with us
- respond to a consultation survey or questionnaire
- attend a Commission presentation or talk
The type of information we collect depends on how you engage with us. In many cases you may be able to submit information to us anonymously.
We only collect personal information with appropriate consent, and we explain why we are collecting it, what we will do with it, and whether you can provide it to us anonymously.
If you contact us and you inform us that you want to remain anonymous, we will protect your information in accordance with the relevant privacy principles. Please refer to our Website Information Privacy Policy for information about how we treat the information that is collected through our website.
When we collect personal or health information through community engagement activities, such as consultation meetings, submissions, or questionnaires and surveys, we will take reasonable steps to tell you about:
- the information that is being sought
- the purpose we are seeking it
- how it will be used
- how you may request that information to be de-identified.
Our consultation, submission and questionnaire and survey policies provide more information.
Why do we collect personal information?
We collect and uses information to:
- conduct research
- prepare and publish reports
- answer enquiries
- contact you, if this is required
- compile statistics and data.
We only collect information which is necessary for our functions.
What do we do with your information?
We will only use your information for the purposes for which it was collected. This purpose will usually be self-evident (i.e. when you make a submission on a law reform project). We will explain what will be done with the information when you provide it to us.
We will not disclose your personal information to a third party, including to other state institutions and authorities, except if this is authorised or required by law and in accordance with the principles of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic). If we intend to pass your information on to another organisation for a purpose other than the purpose for which the information was collected, we will tell you in advance and ask for your consent.
Email addresses will be held securely and only used in accordance with the relevant privacy principles. We seek your consent to include your email address on our project mailing list to send you project updates from time to time and seek your consent to include you on a mail-out list that details our work more broadly. You can request to be removed from our mailing lists at any time by emailing us at law.reform@lawreform.vic.gov.au or by unsubscribing directly from any communication you receive from us.
How do we make sure that information is accurate and up-to-date?
We take reasonable steps to ensure that any personal or health information we hold is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
We rely on you to ensure that if you share any personal information with us, including through our website, it is accurate, current, complete and relevant. We rely on you to tell us if any of your personal information has changed.
How do we store and protect information?
We manage personal information which we hold in accordance with our Information Security Management Framework.
We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we hold about you is confidential and secure. We have information privacy and security measures in place to protect against misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure of personal information.
The information we hold is destroyed or permanently de-identified when it is no longer required.
Where information is required to be kept by law, it is archived in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973 (Vic), which governs when information must be retained or destroyed.
How can you access and correct information that we hold?
You have a right to access and correct personal information that the Commission holds about you. You can do this by contacting us or making a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic).
It is our policy that, where appropriate, you may ask for access to your personal or health information directly, without having to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic).
To ask whether we hold personal information about you and to request a copy of this, you may contact our Privacy Officer by email at the address below. The Privacy Officer will explain what you need to do to gain access to information that you believe we hold. There is no charge to make this request.
Before we send you any personal data, you will need to provide evidence of your identity. If you do not provide evidence of your identity, we reserve the right to refuse to provide you with the personal data
You can ask us to erase, rectify, complete and amend any personal information that we hold about you.
Sometimes it will not be appropriate for us to share information without a formal Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI) request. For example, if information we hold relates to the personal information and privacy of another person, you may need to make a formal FOI request.
For information on making a FOI request, please visit the Freedom of Information website.
Please contact us at the email address below to find out about the process to access and correct personal information.
Unsolicited personal information
From time to time, we receive information from individuals in the form of letters, emails or phone calls that mention other people, or include personal, sensitive and health information about another person. Such information may refer to another person’s welfare or behaviour. If we receive unsolicited personal information about another person, it will be securely handled with the same care as information deliberately collected and in accordance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic).
The Victorian Law Reform Commission is a research organisation. We do not provide advice or assistance about personal or legal matters and does not investigate legal problems or complaints about other agencies. These activities are outside our statutory functions. If we receive legal or personal documents, these cannot be retained and will be safely destroyed.
Photographs, filming and recording
Photos, videos and other recordings of a person are types of personal information. From time to time, we may take photographs or film community engagement activities (such as presentations or talks) for the purposes of publication on our website, publications and social media channels. We will not film, record or take photographs of people under 18 during any consultations.
We will obtain the appropriate consent from people to take photographs or film community engagement activities. Photographs and recordings will be securely stored in the same manner as other personal information we collect.
Please see our Social Media Policy for more information about how the Commission manages privacy and social media.
How do we handle complaints about privacy?
We have a complaint handling procedure to deal with any concerns people raise with us about privacy or the collection, management and use of personal information. We undertake to respond to and resolve privacy complaints in a fast, fair and reasonable way.
Complaints or requests for more information may be made by:
Phone: (03) 8608 7800
Email: law.reform@lawreform.vic.gov.au
Post: GPO Box 4637, Melbourne Victoria 3001
If you are dissatisfied with our handling of a privacy complaint, you have the right to complain to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (OVIC) if your complaint concerns personal information. If your complaint relates to health information, you can complain to the Health Complaints Commissioner.
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