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Ch17 Documents / PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE RELATING TO DOCUMENTS / Hansard



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House of Representatives                                Ch 17                                                 p 606

 

Documents / PARLIAMENTARY PRIVILEGE RELATING TO DOCUMENTS

 

Hansard

During the second reading debate on the Parliamentary Papers Bill in 1908 the Attorney-General, in answer to queries regarding statutory protection for the publication of Hansard, informed the House that the publication of Hansard was protected at common law. 1 However, during the following 27 years questions regarding the authority for publication of Hansard and the protection of those who published it were consistently raised. 2 As a result the Act was amended in 1935 to establish the legal basis for the official character of Hansard, and to place beyond cavil its privileged position, with a provision that each House shall be deemed to have authorised the Government Printer to publish the reports of its debates and proceedings. 3

In 1993 the House and the Senate passed resolutions, with continuing effect, authorising the publication of the Hansard record of their respective proceedings. This action removed any doubt that might have applied to the status of the Hansard report when published by anyone other than the Government Printer (a particular consideration being distribution in electronic form). 4



H.R. Deb. (28.5.08) 11673.



Commonwealth Hansard—Its establishment and development, 1901 to 1972 , PP 286 (1972) 4-8.



Parliamentary Papers Act 1908 , ss. 3, 4; H.R. Deb. (6.12.35) 2829.



H.R. Deb. (5.5.93) 89-90; VP 1993-95/25; J 1993-95/123.