Submission
AMA submission to the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
The AMA submission to the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 objects to the introduction of a new statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy, noting the well-intentioned tort could negatively impact on a doctor's ability to perform good medical practice and on the use of data in medical research.
The submission explains that the new statutory tort’s unclear scope creates ambiguity for medical professionals, researchers and health services who routinely handle sensitive personal data. It also notes that several key exemptions that currently protect healthcare providers under the Privacy Act do not apply to the statutory tort.