Confidentiality within the guardianship system is a topic that has been considered by various agencies, including the Queensland Law Reform Commission, over the last 15 years.
The Public Advocate has released a report that re-examines this topic, and which looks in particular at:
- the making of confidentiality orders during guardianship proceedings, and
- the general prohibition (contained in Section 114A of the Guardianship and Administration Act 2000) on the publication of the identity of a person who is subject to a guardianship proceeding unless certain other conditions apply.
The report includes three recommendation, which would, should they be adopted; improve the experiences of people in guardianship hearings; enable people to speak publicly about their experiences; and deliver some modest administrative efficiencies.