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Consultation Paper 1: Invasion of Privacy

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Consultation Paper 1: Invasion of Privacy NSW LAW REFORM COMMISSION Consultation Paper 1 Invasion of Privacy May 2007 CP 1 Invasion of privacy New South Wales. Law Reform Commission. Sydney 2007 ISSN 1834-6901 (Consultation paper) National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-publication entry Invasion of Privacy. Bibliography ISBN 978-0-7347-2629-2 1. Privacy, Right of - New South Wales. 2. Causes of actions - New South Wales. 3. Human rights - New South Wales. I. New South Wales. Law Reform Commission. (Series : Consultation paper (New South Wales Law Reform Commission) ; 1). 342.0858 ii NSW Law Reform Commission Contents Table of Contents Terms of reference.......................................................................................................... vii Participants .................................................................................................................... viii Submissions.....................................................................................................................ix List of proposals................................................................................................................x List of questions ...............................................................................................................xi 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 This inquiry........................................................................................................................2 Statutory tort or statutory cause of action?........................................................................3 The significance of a statutory cause of action .................................................................5 What should a statutory cause of action protect? .............................................................6 The Commission’s view.............................................................................................10 Is there need for more general protection of privacy in New South Wales?....................11 No broad protection of privacy in civil law............................................................11 A more invasive environment...............................................................................12 Giving effect to Australia’s international obligations.............................................12 The experience of other countries........................................................................14 The weakening of privacy protection in defamation law.......................................15 Should development of an action for invasion of privacy be left to the common law? ............................................................................................................16 The Commission’s conclusion ...................................................................................21 Considerations underlying the case for reform................................................................22 The constitutional implication of freedom of political communication...................22 The criminal law and privacy................................................................................22 Integrating a statutory cause of action within the current privacy framework.......23 Potential undesirable consequences of a statutory cause of action.....................24 The next step ..................................................................................................................24 The Commission’s approach .....................................................................................25 2. PRIVACY IN AUSTRALIAN LAW.......................................................................27 Introduction .....................................................................................................................28 Statutory regulation.........................................................................................................28 Commonwealth..........................................................................................................28 New South Wales......................................................................................................30 The nature of statutory regulation..............................................................................33 The common law of Australia..........................................................................................35 No general action for breach of privacy.....................................................................36 Victoria Park Racing and Recreation Grounds Co Ltd v Taylor ...........................36 Lenah Game Meats .............................................................................................36 Two first instance decisions .................................................................................38 Other case law after Lenah Game Meats ............................................................40 Other causes of action...............................................................................................42 Trespass to land ..................................................................................................42 Private nuisance ..................................................................................................43 Defamation...........................................................................................................45 Injurious falsehood...............................................................................................46 Passing off ...........................................................................................................48 NSW Law Reform Commission iii CP 1 Invasion of privacy The intentional infliction of harm ..........................................................................50 Breach of confidence ...........................................................................................53 Conclusion ...........................................................................................................57 The criminal law and privacy...........................................................................................58 Property offences ......................................................................................................59 Offences against the person......................................................................................60 Assaults ...............................................................................................................60 Stalking and intimidation ......................................................................................60 Peeping or prying.................................................................................................60 The publication of false or embarrassing information ................................................61 Invasion of personal privacy through photography ....................................................61 Summary offences...............................................................................................61 The public/private distinction................................................................................62 Information protection................................................................................................62 Workplace privacy .....................................................................................................64 3. APPROACHES TO PRIVACY IN OTHER COMMON LAW COUNTRIES..........65 Extending breach of confidence......................................................................................66 Douglas and Others v Hello! Ltd ..........................................................................70 Campbell v Mirror Group Newspapers Ltd...........................................................74 Current approach to privacy in English law..........................................................77 Developing a tort of invasion of privacy...........................................................................78 New Zealand .............................................................................................................78 Hosking v Runting................................................................................................78 Bill of rights ..........................................................................................................81 Statutory intervention ......................................................................................................82 Privacy legislation in the Canadian provinces ...........................................................82 Ireland........................................................................................................................85 4. PRIVACY IN THE UNITED STATES...................................................................91 Introduction .....................................................................................................................92 Background ...............................................................................................................92 Widespread recognition.............................................................................................94 A personal action.......................................................................................................95 Relationship to breach of confidence.........................................................................96 Constitutional protection of
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