Privacy and the Media (formerly Privacy, Celebrity and the Media) 730877

A candidate who has successfully completed the subject should:

Be familiar with basic legal sources of privacy protection in comparable jurisdictions
Be able to situate privacy in its historical, political and social context
Have an understanding of the sharply differing approaches of a number of legal jurisdictions to the protection of privacy, especially vis-à-vis the media
Have awareness of the applicable principles of the European Convention on Human Rights and Bills of Rights in comparable jurisdictions (including the US, Canada, New Zealand, and now the ACT and Victoria) as well as the Australian implied freedom of political discussion
Be familiar with the principles involved in reconciling privacy claims with those of media freedom in a number of key comparative jurisdictions.

Principal topics will include:

Values underlying the notion of a right to privacy: Why is it considered a basic human right?
Privacy as a constitutional issue
Role of the news media in different forms, and the function of the media in a modern society
Breach of confidence as a vehicle for privacy protection
Alternatives to breach of confidence: Differing models of a tort of invasion of privacy
Privacy in public places: The US/European divide
Celebrity, publicity and ‘waiver’ of privacy rights
Whistle blowing, protection of journalists’ sources
Access to information (FOI)
Privacy and freedom of speech (especially of the media).

Melbourne Law School The Melbourne Law Masters