PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA LAW REFORM COMMITTEE 7(&+12/2*< 7+( /$: REPORT Ordered to be Printed Melbourne Government Printer May 1999 No 52 Session 1998–99 Parliament of Victoria, Australia Law Reform Committee Melbourne Bibliography ISBN 0-7311-5272-7 Also available on CD-Rom ISBN 0-7311-5273-5 Cover Design & Graphics: Paul Angus C OMMITTEE M EMBERSHIP CHAIRMAN *Mr Victor Perton, MP DEPUTY CHAIR *Mr Neil Cole, MP MEMBERS *Mr Florian Andrighetto, MP *Ms Mary Delahunty, MP *Hon Carlo Furletti, MLC *Hon Monica Gould, MLC *Mr Noel Maughan, MP Mr Alister Paterson, MP Mr Tony Robinson, MP * denotes membership of Technology and the Law Inquiry Subcommittee The Committee’s address is — Level 8, 35 Spring Street MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3000 Telephone inquiries — (03) 9651 3644 Facsimile — (03) 9651 3674 Email — [email protected] Internet— http://www.lawreform.org.au iii iv C OMMITTEE S TAFF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH Mr Douglas Trapnell RESEARCH OFFICER Ms Padma Raman OFFICE MANAGER Ms Angelica Vergara v vi C ONTENTS Committee Membership........................... ............................................................................................... iii Committee Staff ........................................................................................................................................v Chairman’s Foreword .............................................................................................................................xiii Functions of the Committee...................................................................................................................xvii Terms of Reference ............................................................................................................................... xix List of Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... xxi 1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................3 Scope of the Inquiry.....................................................................................................................4 Framework of the Report.............................................................................................................6 Terminology .................................................................................................................................8 2 TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INFORMATION AGE .......11 Developments in Information Technology in the Next Decade .................................................12 Telecommunications Infrastructure ...........................................................................................12 Capacity and Useability of Computers ......................................................................................13 Digital Television........................................................................................................................15 Software.....................................................................................................................................16 Internet, Intranets and Extranets ...............................................................................................16 Portals........................................................................................................................................18 Videoconferencing .....................................................................................................................18 Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems..................................................................................19 Developments in Modern Management.....................................................................................20 Business Process Reengineering..............................................................................................20 Knowledge Management...........................................................................................................21 vii 3 THE COMMITTEE'S VISION .................................................................................................... 23 4 CULTURAL ISSUES ................................................................................................................. 29 Historical Factors....................................................................................................................... 30 Adversarial Culture.................................................................................................................... 30 The Need for Champions: Characterising Personal Responses to IT ...................................... 31 Overcoming Fear....................................................................................................................... 34 Overcoming the Cultural Barriers.............................................................................................. 36 The Need for a National Information Clearinghouse................................................................. 43 Knowledge Management .......................................................................................................... 45 Knowledge Management's Relevance to the Justice System .................................................. 49 5 THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON GOVERNMENT........................................................... 55 Possibilities Information Technology Offers Government ........................................................ 56 Federal Government Directions ................................................................................................ 58 Current Status of Technology in the Victorian Government...................................................... 59 Department of Justice ............................................................................................................... 64 Committee's Vision.................................................................................................................... 72 Implementing the Committee's Vision....................................................................................... 73 6 INTERGRATED CRIMINAL JUSTICE ...................................................................................... 77 Introduction................................................................................................................................ 77 Defining 'Reengineering' ........................................................................................................... 78 The Criminal Justice System.....................................................................................................79 The Victorian Criminal Justice System...................................................................................... 80 Project Pathfinder...................................................................................................................... 81 Reengineering Initiatives in Other Australian Jurisdictions....................................................... 86 Reengineering Initiatives in Overseas Jurisdictions.................................................................. 89 Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 93 viii 7 PROSECUTORIAL FUNCTIONS..............................................................................................97 The Structure of Prosecution in Victoria ....................................................................................97 Information Technology within the Office of Public Prosecutions..............................................99 The Future for Information Technology within OPP ................................................................101 Information Technology within Victoria Police.........................................................................102 Conclusion ...............................................................................................................................110 8 ELECTRONIC COMMERCE SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES........................................111 Introduction ..............................................................................................................................111 Security Issues ........................................................................................................................112 Victorian Government Initiatives..............................................................................................113 Commonwealth Government Initiatives...................................................................................117 Privacy Issues..........................................................................................................................124 Ensuring the Privacy of Stored and Transmitted Data ............................................................125 Current Standards of Privacy...................................................................................................128 Mandating Privacy Standards..................................................................................................131 9 IMPROVING COURT PROCESSES.......................................................................................145 Case Management and Court Management Systems ............................................................146 International Experience..........................................................................................................147