In the past 20 years, the world has been unprecedentedly swept by the rhetoric, and at times the reality, of democracy and the rule of law. Alongside these revolutions, mass media have undergone their own transformations, bringing with them new sets of possibilities, challenges and threats. And when the revolutions are over, lofty ambitions become practical problems: establishing real and not merely ‘parchment’ institutions of democracy, the rule of law, independent media and in general a functional and not destructive public sphere’.

Rule of Law Institute CEO Richard Gilbert spoke to at the Mass Media, Democracy and the Rule of Law Conference held at the University of New South Wales on September 5 and 6.

His presentation discussed regulatory accountability, new law respecting the rule of law, and media/privacy regulation. RoLIA’s submissions on privacy formed the basis of the presentation.