Frequently asked questions
On this page:
- How do I get a copy of my criminal history?
- How do I get a copy of a transcript?
- How do I get a copy of my birth certificate?
- How do I access adoption information?
- Can I find out who made a complaint against me?
- Can I find out if someone has been charged with an offence against children?
- Does FOI give people access to information about me?
- How do I access my health records?
- What if the information I want is held by the federal government or another state or territory government agency?
How do I get a copy of my criminal history?
An application for a person’s criminal history must be made by the individual concerned or their legal representative. This document is most often sought for court-related purposes.
For more information on access and costs, visit the Queensland Police Service website or contact:
Police Information Centre on:
(07) 3364 6854 (if calling from within Australia)
+61 7 3364 6854 (if calling from overseas)
How do I get a copy of a transcript?
The State Reporting Bureau provides recording and transcription services
for proceedings in the Supreme and District Courts, Industrial Relations Commission,
Royal Commissions and various tribunals throughout Queensland.
Transcripts of matters heard in a Magistrates Court are available from the
court registry of the courthouse where the matter was heard.
For more information on access and costs, visit the State
Reporting Bureau webpage.
How do I get a copy of my birth certificate?
The Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages will supply a copy of a birth, death or marriage certificate to appropriate people (normally immediate family members) on request. You will need to prove your identity and pay the appropriate fee. If you are applying on behalf of someone else, you will need their written authorisation as well as proving your and their identity.
You can contact the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages by:
Post: PO Box 15188, City East Qld 4002
Ph: 1300 366 430 (for queries only)
Fax: (07) 3247 5818
Email: bdm-mail@justice.qld.gov.au
You must provide your name and your residential and postal addresses when seeking information or advice from the registry.
Due to new proof of identity requirements introduced by a number of government agencies, the registry has experienced a significant increase in workload and is presently unable to provide prompt responses to emails. If you require information urgently it is suggested that you contact the Registry by telephone or fax.
The registry is located at 110 George Street, Brisbane.
For more information on access and costs, visit the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
How do I access adoption information?
Birth parents who sign or have signed an adoption consent after June 1991 in Queensland, and people who were adopted after June 1991 in Queensland, can receive identifying information about each other once the adopted person reaches 18 years of age.
Birth parents who signed an adoption consent prior to June 1991 in Queensland and people who were adopted prior to June 1991 in Queensland can receive identifying information once the adopted person reaches 18 years of age only if an objection to the disclosure of identifying information has not been lodged by one of the parties to the adoption.
Identifying information given to adopted people includes their birth parent/s’ date of birth, their birth parent/s’ names at the time of adoption, and details of any brothers or sisters who were also adopted.
Identifying information given to a birth parent includes the name of their son or daughter after adoption, and the adoptive parents’ names at the time of adoption.
Applications for identifying information must be made on the application form available from the Local and Post Adoption Services Unit.
There is an application fee for identifying information. People receiving government benefits do not have to pay the fee. In addition, the fee can be waived if a person is experiencing financial hardship. If an objection prevents the release of information, the application fee is refunded.
You can contact the Local and Post Adoptions Services Unit on (07) 3224 7415, 1800 647 983 or GPO Box 806, Brisbane Qld 4001.
Can I find out who made a complaint about me to a government office?
This depends on the nature of the complaint and the way in which the information was provided, for example, when a person makes a report about suspected child abuse to the Department of Child Safety or the Queensland Police Service, the law requires that their details are kept confidential and their identity is strictly protected. If a person who made a complaint will be required to give evidence about the complaint in court proceedings, an agency is more likely to disclose it.
Can I find out if someone has been charged with an offence against children?
The FOI Act will generally not provide this sort of information.
The Commission for Children and Young People however is authorised to review the criminal history of people who require ‘blue cards’ to work with children. More information about the blue card may be found on the Commission for Children and Young People website.
Does FOI give people access to information about me?
The FOI Act protects information about a person’s personal affairs unless disclosure of that information is in the public interest. You would ordinarily be contacted by an agency for your views about the release of your personal information before it was given out.
How do I access my health records?
Under Queensland Health’s policy on administrative access to health records, members of the community may, in most circumstances, obtain access to their own health records held by a public hospital or community health service within Queensland. You can also request access to your health records under the FOI Act.
Requests for access to health records must be in writing and directed to the office of the medical superintendent of the relevant public hospital or the manager of the community health service. A list of public hospitals and facilities is available on the Queensland Health website.
Documentary evidence of identity should also be supplied at this time (for example, a certified copy of a driver’s licence or birth certificate). Administrative access to health records will usually be provided within 15 working days of receipt of the request.
For more information on how to obtain your health records go to privacy information on the Queensland Health website.
What if the information I want is held by the Commonwealth Government?
For access to information held by Commonwealth Government agencies you should contact the FOI contact officer for that agency (Australian Government Departments).
For general enquiries about the Commonwealth FOI Act, you can write to:
The FOI Contact Officer
Attorney-General’s Department
Robert Garran Offices
National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600
Created January 2006
Other
languages