Professor Barbara McDonald: Unpacking Australia's New Tort for Serious Invasions of Privacy by Just Cause: Exploring Social Justice and the Law

Just Cause is back for Season 3! Get ready for a wide-reaching dissection of social justice and its intersection with the law, with Sydney Law School students and professors broaching topics such as videolink technologies in the criminal justice system, tax policy and global inequality, and the inaccessibility of Australia's 18,000 pieces of legislation. To find out more, stay tuned to all our episodes over the course of this semester — you can listen to Just Cause on SoundCloud, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

In this first episode, JD III student Mahati Garimella and LLB III student Victoria Miller are joined by Emeritus Professor Barbara McDonald to discuss the development of privacy law, and the implications of the recently implemented statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy. Professor McDonald shares her journey from being a law student, to leading the ALRC Inquiry into Serious Invasions of Privacy in the Digital Era (2013–2014). She also explores key developments in privacy law over the decades, and how this evolving area of law intersects with social justice.

Before retiring from Sydney Law School, Professor McDonald had taught a range of subjects including torts, equity, and media law, and is also an Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne.