Session 5A (commercial stream): Data protection: barristers’ ethical and legal obligations
Friday 29 April 2022, 2:50pm – 3:45pm
Dominique Hogan-Doran SC (chair) Chair, ABA Practice Development Committee
Angelene Falk, Australian Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner
Michael Rivette, Barrister, Victorian Bar
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of the digital economy. With data protection reforms in digital data, trusted identities, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and consumer rights, Australia's data protection landscape has also evolved. As a result, regulatory agencies and courts are becoming more involved in enforcing privacy and consumer rights relating to personal and confidential information.
What obligation do barristers have to protect client information legally and ethically? If we don't take these legal and ethical obligations seriously, what are the consequences? In spite of the fact that it's a hot topic, the profession risks ignoring it. Where should we go from here?