Monash Law submission cited in the Report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme
Monash Law academics collaborated on a submission that has been cited in the final Report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme.
27 July 2023
Monash Law researchers with academic members of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law and the Australian Centre for Justice Innovation (ACJI) collaborated on a submission to the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme in January 2023. With the conclusion of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme in July 2023, the Commissioner Catherine Holmes AC SC presented a final Report of the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme to the Governor-General. This report extensively cites the work of the original submission made by Monash Law researchers.
The original submission, Public Administration and Automation Submission to the Robodebt Royal Commission, was led by Associate Professor Joel Townsend (Monash Law Clinics Director) together with Associate Professor Brendan Gogarty, Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng, and Professor Christopher Marsden. The submission makes 10 key recommendations, including that the Cth Parliament legislation creates an oversight body to improve fairness and accountability in automated decision-making by governments in Australia.
In the media
Following the original submission, Associate Professor Joel Townsend (Monash Law Clinics Director) was asked to comment on radio, and contribute to a Monash Lens analysis with Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus (Monash Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences).
With the release of the final report, Associate Professor Yee-Fui Ng was interviewed by ABC radio on 9 July 2023.
On 11 July 2023, Associate Professor Joel Townsend was again interviewed by ABC Gippsland Radio">.