We are delighted to invite you to an exclusive presentation on the recently passed Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024. This significant piece of legislation, which received Royal assent on 10 December 2024, will come into force on 10 June 2025.

One of the most impactful components of this Bill is Schedule 2, titled “Statutory Tort for Serious Invasions of Privacy.” This new statutory tort has the potential to affect many areas of legal practice, including privacy, media, class actions, and corporate governance. It also raises important considerations for corporates regarding data harvesting, data usage, class actions, and consent.

The tort introduces several new concepts inspired by similar overseas privacy laws but includes a unique exemption for journalists publishing journalistic material. This exemption is expressed in language that raises interesting questions about its scope.

The event will be facilitated by Katherine Jones, Head of our Digital Governance, Cyber Security & Privacy team, and will conclude with a 10-minute Q&A session.

This presentation is relevant to all businesses due to its wide-reaching implications. Some examples of impacted areas include:

• Education Sector: Collection of sensitive data, social media use in school grounds.
• Medical Providers: Disclosure of sensitive information to third parties.
• Employment: Workplace surveillance and invasion of personal lives.
• Financial Services: Collection of personal information for loans.
• Social Media: Posting embarrassing videos without consent.
• Property Rights: Security cameras invading the privacy of neighbours.

Matthew Richardson SC
Barrister | 153 Phillip

Matthew’s primary area of expertise is in media law. He has extensive trial experience and is retained for urgent applications involving injunctive relief and suppression orders. He appears for plaintiffs and defendants and gives pre-publication advice. Since 2022 Matthew has been the Co-Chair of the NSW Bar Association Media and Information Law and Technology which amongst other matters assists the NSW Bar in advising on law reform in the defamation, privacy and AI spaces

David Helvadjian
Barrister | 153 Phillip

David has a focus on common law, commercial law and public law. He has advised and appeared, unled and led, in trials and appeals in various jurisdictions and for a diverse range of clients including individuals, corporations, and government departments and agencies. He is a member of the Editorial Committee for BarNews and regularly publishes there and in other journals.