AQO v Minister for Finance and Services

(2016) 93 NSWLR 46; [2016] NSWCA 248

NSW Court of Appeal

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Interrogate

Catchwords

1. Statutory Interpretation
2. › Definition clauses
3. › Construction of statutory definitions
4. › Whether general words in definition ('person or body') extend to Minister of the Crown
5. › Whether context requires reading down expansive definitional language
6. › Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), s 3
7. › Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), s 4
1. Statutory Interpretation
2. › Later amendments to principal Act
3. › Whether subsequent amendments inform construction of original provisions
4. › Whether assumption underlying later amendment conveys implied amendment of existing definition
5. › Whether legislative inaction following Law Reform Commission recommendation relevant to construction
1. Statutory Interpretation
2. › Legislation in pari materia
3. › Whether definition in one Act can be read down by reference to context and extrinsic materials of cognate Act
4. › Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW)
5. › Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW)
1. Privacy Law
2. › Public sector agencies
3. › Privacy complaints
4. › Internal review
5. › Whether Minister subject to internal review obligations
6. › Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW), ss 3, 53
7. › Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), ss 4, 21

Quick Take

Practitioners advising on privacy complaints under the PPIP Act and HRIP Act should note that a Minister of the Crown may fall within the definition of 'public sector agency' via paragraph (d) where accounts of the Minister's office expenses are subject to audit by the Auditor-General, and that later amendments expressly extending the Act to Ministers do not impliedly narrow the original definition.