Towards a Workable Legal Regime for Truth in Political Advertising

This webinar, co-hosted with the Electoral Regulation Research Network and Melbourne School of Government, will address a serious impediment to the democratic ideal of ‘full, free and fair elections’ in Australia and comparable settings, namely the use of dishonest advertising and disinformation at election time.

The problem of disinformation and non-transparent campaigning practices that subvert democratic – and especially electoral – processes is a growing one; it has been significantly compounded by the proliferation of social media and other online forms of political communication.

South Australia has shown itself to be a leader in the fight to address the problem of truth in political advertising by being the first state in Australia to have this kind of law. Based on s.113 of the S.A. Electoral Act 1985 –with our own refinements – we are working towards a legal regime suitable for adoption in other jurisdictions in Australia and elsewhere.

This webinar first explores the character and effect of disinformation campaigns at election time, after which we canvas attempts to regulate them in a range of established democracies. We then reflect on potential legal remedies that are not only likely to be effective but publicly acceptable and capable of withstanding constitutional challenge.

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The Panellists

Professor Lisa Hill
DSTI Research Program Director, Stretton Institute
The University of Adelaide
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Ravi Baltutis
Adelaide Law School
The University of Adelaide

Max Douglass
Department of Politics and International Relations
School of Social Sciences
The University of Adelaide