About Submissions

What is a submission?

A submission is a response from a person or organisation, stating their views about the law under review. A submission may include personal experiences and ideas about how the law should change. Submissions help to provide us with the information and opinions we need to write our reports and to recommend reform.

The Institute publishes issues papers to explain the law under review, asking some questions and inviting responses. It is a good idea to read the issues paper before making a submission.

During a project’s consultation period, the Institute asks to hear from anyone who has experience of the issues under review. Any contribution is welcome, large or small.

How do I make a submission?

Issues papers include information about how to make a submission for that specific review, including the closing date for submissions.

Submissions can only be made during a project’s consultation period. You may send us your submission electronically or in hard copy. You can send us your ideas in a Word document, a pdf file, or in the body of the email.

If you do not want to respond in writing, you can phone or write and ask to speak with a researcher instead. You can then make your submission by phone, through an online meeting platform, or in person, either individually or as part of a group..

Some reviews may allow other submission methods. This is why it is important to read the submission information in the issues paper for the specific review you wish to comment on.

We prefer you to answer the questions we ask in the issues paper, but you do not have to answer all of them. Submissions do not have to follow a particular format. You can provide as much detail as you like – the more the better, as long as it is relevant.

Publication of submissions

We read all submissions to inform our deliberations on the issue under investigation.

When making a submission you must state which level of privacy you prefer from these categories (1) public, (2) anonymous, or (3) confidential. More details about these categories appear in our issues papers.

We refer to public submissions in our reports, and we may list the names of submitters who choose the public option in the final report.

The Institute publishes public submissions on our website. This is to encourage discussion and to keep the community informed. Confidential and anonymous submissions are not published on the website but are not treated as any less important than public ones.

We remove these items from submissions before they are published on the TLRI website:

1. Personal residential addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers
2. Derogatory or offensive language
3. Comments impugning the personal character and/or professional reputation of individuals and organisations
4. Disclosure of legally restricted or confidential information
5. Any other materials prohibited by law.

The views expressed in submissions are those of the individuals or organisations who submit them. The fact that the Institute publishes a submission does not imply that the Institute accepts or agrees with these views.

Submissions that are late or beyond the scope of the terms of reference

The closing date for submissions is advertised in the Institute’s issues paper and on our website. This deadline is provided so that we have enough time to properly consider the issues and write the report. We may not be able to consider a late submission.

Submissions must be relevant. The Institute only reviews the matters that are detailed in the terms of reference. We strongly recommend using the issues paper to help guide your submission.