Access to information

Right to Information

You have the right to request access to government information held by the Department of Justice. This is subject to some exceptions and exemptions.

Information about Justice

The Department of Justice, along with other government agencies, is committed to increasing the amount of information routinely disclosed to the public.

Regular updates are released on a range of topics outlined below.

If you are thinking about making a right to information request, check the resources below first to see if we (or another government department) have already published the information.

Annual reports and other publications

These include reports from tribunals, commissions and boards supported by the Justice.

Annual reports

Publications

Contracts and consultancies

Tasmanian Government Tenders website

Community consultation

Have your say on government projects, services, and changes to the laws.

Community consultations

Departmental policies

These are some of the policies that direct our work and our employees.

Justice departmental policies

Employment and workforce statistics

Information about the Tasmanian State Service workforce, including senior executive service positions, is published twice a year by the State Service Management Office.

Department of Justice workforce statistics (as of 30 June each year) can be found in our Annual report.

Gifts and benefits register

Gifts and Benefits register

News and events

Justice news and events

Organisational structure

Justice organisational structure chart

Policy and program initiatives

Find information about our current projects, and other relevant government information.

Australian Bureau of Statistics

Breaking the Cycle Strategic Plan

Community Consultations

Infrastructure Projects

Planning Reform

Report on Government Services (Australian Government)

Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

Short Stay Accommodation Act data collection

Work health and safety industry snapshots

Sentencing statistics

Sentencing Advisory Council website

Telecommunications expenditure

Telecommunications expenditure

Other data

How we disclose information

Under the Right to Information Act 2009, we provide information to the public through these methods:

Required disclosure

Required disclosure is when Justice is required by law to publish certain information (including under an enforceable agreement). An example is our annual report.

If you are thinking about making a right to information request, check our Annual reports first to see if they contain the information you are after.

Routine disclosure

Routine disclosure is when Justice publishes information that may be of public interest. Examples are discussion papers for proposals for law reform, statistical information, information about the programs and services we deliver, or our gifts and benefits register.

If you are thinking about making a right to information request, check our Information about Justice first to see if we have already published the information you are after.

Active disclosure

Active disclosure is when Justice provides information in response to a request made outside the right to information process. An example is providing information to someone who has written a letter to us.

Assessed disclosure

Assessed disclosure is information provided when someone submits a right to information request.

It is the last resort, if the information is not found through required, routine or active disclosures.

The laws for right to information

Under the Right to Information Act 2009, you have the right to request access to government information held by the Department of Justice.

All information must be disclosed, unless it is defined under the Act as ‘exempt information’. You can find out more about exempt information from the Ombudsman’s Manual (available on the Ombudsman Tasmania website).

This Act aims to improve democratic government by:

  • increasing the accountability of government
  • increasing the ability of the public to participate in government decision-making processes
  • acknowledging that public authorities collect information for and on behalf of the public.

This Act:

  • authorises and encourages routine disclosure of information held by public authorities without the need for requests or applications
  • authorises and encourages active disclosure of information held by public authorities in response to informal requests without the need for applications
  • gives members of the public an enforceable right to information held by public authorities
  • provides that access to information held by government bodies is restricted in only limited circumstances which are defined in the Act.

In certain circumstances, you may be able to access personal information that Justice holds about you through the Personal Information Protection Act 2004.

What happens after you make a request

Receiving your application

When we receive your application, we:

  • may contact you to confirm the exact nature of the information you want
  • will identify what information Justice has that relates to your request
  • will assess if the information can be disclosed, or if it is exempt information under the Right to Information Act 2009.
  • will advise you of the outcome in writing. This is normally within 20 days, but may be longer if we need to consult with other departments, organisations or people.

If we do not provide some or all of the information you have asked for, we will provide reasons for this.

Disagree with the outcome

If you disagree with the outcome, you can ask Justice to conduct an internal review of the decision. You must do this within 20 working days of receiving our advice.

If you are not happy with the internal review, you can ask the Ombudsman to conduct an external review of the decision. Again, you must do this within 20 working days of receiving the decision of our internal review. Details of how to request these reviews will be provided to you with the written decisions.

Disclosure register

We publish certain information on our website once it is released for right to information requests.

  • We publish it here within 48 hours of it being released.
  • We publish it if we think it is in the public interest.
  • We do not publish personal information, or information of a commercial or confidential nature.

If you are seeking information which was published on the Right to Information Disclosure Log prior to the 2024/25 reporting period, please email rti@justice.tas.gov.au

Public Authority or Minister Applied To Date Released to Applicant Category of Applicant Summary of Request Information Released
Department of Justice27 August 2025Non-Government OrganisationDetails of orders and enforcement action taken under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 for 2024-25.Orders and enforcement action made under the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 (PDF, 664.3 KB)
Magistrates Court1 August 2025Member of ParliamentInformation on persons who received a Youth Justice Detention OrderYouth Justice Detention Order statistical information from 2014 to 2025 (PDF, 643.0 KB)
Magistrates and Supreme Courts25 July 2025Non-Government OrganisationInformation in relation to the Sex Industry Offences Act 2005 and Community Protection (Offender Reporting) Act 2005 from 2019 to 2024.Information to relation to the Sex Industry Offences Act 2005 (PDF, 128.0 KB)
Department of Justice11 June 2025JournalistComplaints, concerns or similar in relation to children and young people being held at Hobart or Launceston reception prisons.Issues Register - Young People in Reception Prisons. (PDF, 1.2 MB)
Department of Justice3 June 2025JournalistInformation, including correspondence and complaints, in relation to the Tasmanian National Preventative Mechanism.Information in relation to the Tasmanian National Preventive Mechanism. (PDF, 8.2 MB)
Department of Justice28 May 2025Member of ParliamentMagistrates Court and lodgements in the Magistrates Court under s 41 and s 45 of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 for 2024.Residential Tenancy Act 1997 lodgements in the Magistrates Court for 2024. (PDF, 77.1 KB)
Department of Justice21 May 2025Member of ParliamentInformation in relation to management and care of pregnant individuals by the Tasmania Prison Service.DSO - 3.09 Mother and Child Program (PDF, 2.3 MB)
Department of Justice9 May 2025JournalistInformation in relation to the settlement of claims made against the State of Tasmania for child sexual abuse in State care.Settlement claims made against the State for child sexual abuse in State care matter (PDF, 679.7 KB)
Department of Justice4 March 2025Non-Government OrganisationInformation in relation to the proposed amendments of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 from the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania.Documentation held by the Department of Justice from the Real Estate Institute of Tasmania in relation to the proposed legislative amendments (PDF, 4.4 MB)
Department of Justice20 February 2025Member of ParliamentPolicies, criteria and statistics relating to placement in the Tamar Unit of Risdon Prison Complex between 1 August 2024 and 1 February 2025.DSO - 1.24 Separate Confinement and Operating Manual Tamara and Franklin  Units (PDF, 1.1 MB)

Tamar Unit length of days held between 1 August 2024 to 1 February 2025 (PDF, 636.4 KB)
Department of Justice23 January 2025JournalistSelection report and information to the Attorney-General relating to the appointment of a new Chief JusticeSelection report and information to the Attorney-General relating to appointment of Chief Justice (PDF, 2.4 MB)
Department of Justice23 January 2025JournalistInformation relating to selection process for Chief JusticeInformation held in relation to selection process for Chief Justice (PDF, 18.8 MB)
Department of Justice9 January 2025Member of ParliamentInformation from the past 12 months on raising the age of criminal responsibilityInformation held in relation to raising the age of criminal responsibility (PDF, 7.6 MB)
Department of Justice17 December 2024JournalistInformation and communications regarding Justice Gregory Geason’s employee entitlements and resignationInformation held in relation to Justice Geason resignation and entitlements (PDF, 5.5 MB)
Department of Justice6 November 2024Non-Government OrganisationInformation held by the Department of Justice on assistance animalsInformation held in relation to assistance animals (PDF, 6.9 MB)
Attorney-General1 November 2024Member of ParliamentCorrespondence between the Attorney-General and the Public Trustee since 1 July 2021 and correspondence between the Treasurer and Attorney-General regarding the Public Trustee since 1 July 2021.Documentation between the Attorney-General and The Public Trustee and the Treasurer (PDF, 17.0 MB)
Department of Justice3 October 2024Member of ParliamentInformation between the Department of Justice and the Attorney-General and Sustainable Timber Tasmania in relation to the Police Offences Amendment (Workplace Protection Bill) 2022, Workplaces (Protections from Protestors) Amendment Bill 2014, and Workplaces (Protections from Protestors) Amendment Bill 2021.Documentation between the Department of Justice and Sustainable Timber Tasmania in relation to legislative amendments. (PDF, 2.6 MB)
Department of Justice25 September 2024Member of ParliamentInformation relating to the Residential Building (Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Amendments) Act 2023 and Residential Building (Home Warranty Insurance Amendments) Act 2023 and information about claims made under the Home Warranty Insurance Scheme.Residential Building (Miscellaneous Consumer Protection Amendments) Act 2023 (PDF, 30.3 MB)

Residential Building (Home Warranty Insurance Amendments) Act 2023 (PDF, 12.8 MB)

Home Warranty Insurance Scheme information (PDF, 119.2 KB)
Department of Justice19 September 2024JournalistDepartmental correspondence in relation to meeting the efficiency dividend from 1 November 2023 to 24 July 2024.Efficiency dividend correspondence and documents from1 November 2023 to 24 July 2024. (PDF, 11.7 MB)
Department of Justice18 September 2024JournalistDepartmental correspondence in relation to meeting the efficiency dividend from May 2023 to May 2024.Efficiency dividend correspondence and documents from May 2023 to May 2024. (PDF, 7.9 MB)
Department of Justice17 September 2024Member of ParliamentDepartmental correspondence in relation to meeting the efficiency dividend from 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024.Efficiency dividend correspondence and documents from 1 January 2024 to 31 July 2024. (PDF, 6.6 MB)
Department of Justice16 September 2024Non-Government OrganisationMagistrates Court and s41 and s45 of the Residential Tenancy Act 1997 statistics for the financial year 2023-24.Residential Tenancy Act 1997 lodgments in the Magistrates Court. (XLSX, 32.8 KB)
Department of Justice9 September 2024Member of ParliamentThe number of workers compensation claims made, disputed, the outcome, the number of open claims, and the type of claim for the financial years 2020-21 to 2023-24.Workers compensation claims statistical information. (PDF, 86.8 KB)
Department of Justice30 August 2024Member of ParliamentThe salary of Justice Gregory Geason and information of the appointments of Acting Judges.
The number of Supreme Court's current pending cases, the average length of time which criminal matters take to commence trial, and the longest wait time for each.
Supreme Court Justice and Acting Justices information the Supreme Court current cases information. (PDF, 115.9 KB)
Department of Justice20 August 2024Non-Government OrganisationThe number of civil lodgements made in the Magistrates Court for the financial years 2020-21 to 2023-24.Summary of all civil lodgments made in the Magistrates Court. (XLSX, 325.7 KB)
Department of Justice9 August 2024Non-Government OrganisationThe number of charges and convictions made in accordance with the Family Violence Act 2004 from 2008 to 2024.Family Violence Act 2004 and s8 and s9 statistical information. (PDF, 323.3 KB)
Department of Justice9 August 2024Non-Government OrganisationInformation about the New Directions program available at the Tasmania Prison Service in the last five years.Tasmania Prison Service and New Directions program (PDF, 271.9 KB)
Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs8 August 2024Non-Government OrganisationInformation held by Minster for Small Business and Consumer Affairs. in relation to the National Cabinet's 'A Better Deal for Renters' from 16 August 2024 to 10 April 2024.National Cabinet's 'A Better Deal for Renters' information and correspondence held by the Minster for Small Business and Consumer Affairs. (PDF, 1.7 MB)
Department of Justice8 August 2024Non-Government OrganisationInformation held by Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) in relation to the National Cabinet's 'A Better Deal for Renters' from 16 August 2024 to 10 April 2024.National Cabinet's 'A Better Deal for Renters' information and correspondence held by CBOS (PDF, 5.1 MB).
Department of Justice31 July 2024JournalistComplaints and enquiries received by Consumer, Building and Occupational Service (CBOS) in relation to GJ Gardner Homes, LV  Built Pty Ltd, and Ludek Valta.Part one - Complaints and enquiries in relation to GJ Gardner Homes and LV Built Pty Ltd and Ludek Valta (PDF, 85.0 MB)

Part two - Complaints and enquiries in relation to GJ Gardner Homes and LV Built Pty Ltd and Ludek Valta (PDF, 72.6 MB)
Department of Justice26 July 2024Member of ParliamentDepartmental correspondence in relation to meeting the efficiency dividend from 26 May 2023 to 31 December 2023.Efficiency dividend correspondence from 26 May 2023 to 31 December 2023 (PDF, 3.4 MB)
Department of Justice19 July 2024Member of ParliamentCorrespondence between the Department of Justice and the Meander Valley Council in relation to the proposed northern prison site from January 2015 to December 2018.



Residential suburb breakdown of persons incarcerated in the Tasmania Prison Service from January 2023 to June 2024.
Correspondence between the Department of Justice and the Meander Valley Council in relation to the northern prison (PDF, 4.3 MB)

Residential suburb breakdown of persons incarcerated (PDF, 747.0 KB)
Laws, reports and resources

Right to Information Annual Report

These reports contain statistical information on right to information requests for all public authorities.

Legislation

Right to Information Act 2009

Right to Information Regulations 2021

Policy

Right to Information policy

Office of the Ombudsman

Right to Information Manual

Right to Information Guidelines

Right to Information Decisions

Delegations

This information will help public authorities manage their right to information obligations.

Principal Officers of public authorities or Ministers may delegate some or all of their right to information functions/powers to another person, if they are satisfied that this person has the skills and knowledge necessary to perform those functions/exercise those powers.

Sample delegations are:

Delegation of power to make original decision on application for assessed disclosure under section 21

Delegation of power to conduct internal review under section 43

Delegation of powers to both make decisions and conduct internal reviews

Submit a right to information request

Step 1: Is the information already available

The information you want may already be publicly available. Check our:

If you request information that is already published, your application may be refused without returning your fee.

If you are seeking information in relation to the status of a workplace incident investigation, you may seek this information directly from WorkSafe Tasmania by emailing WSTDisclosures@justice.tas.gov.au.

If you are seeking access to information relating to a workplace incident and there is ongoing regulatory action, the information may not be able to be released until this is finalised.

Step 2: Is Justice the department you need

You should be sure that the information you want is available from Justice, and not another government department. For example:

If you are unsure, contact us.

Step 3: Submit an application

If you still haven’t found the information you want, submit a right to information request using this form:

RTI Application for Assessed Disclosure Form

RTI Application for Assessed Disclosure Form

You can submit it by:

  • printing the form and posting it to:

Right to Information Officer
Department of Justice
GPO Box 825
Hobart   TAS   7001

Step 4: Pay the fee

You must also pay a fee when you apply. The cost and payment methods are on the form.

Fees are set in accordance with the Fees Units Act 1997 as follows -

Fee applied from 1 July 2024 - 30 June 2025Fee to apply from 1 July 2025 (exclusive of GST)GST ApplicableGST AmountFee to apply from 1 July 2025 (inclusive of GST)
$46.75$47.75No.$0.00$47.75

Having the fee waived

On the application form, you can ask to have the fee waived if you are:

  • a Member of Parliament acting in connection with your official duty
  • in financial hardship; for example, unemployed or in prison. We will need evidence, such as a Centrelink Health Care Card
  • able to show that you intend to use the information for a purpose that is of general public interest/benefit
  • a journalist acting in connection with your professional duties

If you wish to have the fee waived on the basis of general public interest, and we support this, then we will publish the information on our Disclosure register. We will not publish your name, but will note broadly who you are (for example, journalist, Member of Parliament, member of public or non-government organisation).

Personal Information Protection

The Personal Information Protection Act 2004 governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. The Department of Justice is the custodian of personal information it collects.

Visit the Personal Information Protection webpage for the policy on how the Department is managing personal information, and how to access your information.

Last updated: 28 August 2025