Disclaimers
A disclaimer is a legal statement which says that the government agency authoring the disclaimer is not responsible for any mishap in the event of using whatever object or information the disclaimer is attached to.
The disclaimer may refer to information on the site and/or linked sites.
Why Must I?
The use of disclaimers was mandated as part of the 2000 Government Online Strategy.
How Do I?
Important: There are no Australian Government templates for disclaimers. It is recommended that you seek legal advice to develop a disclaimer particular to your circumstances.
A disclaimer should have some prominence so that a site visitor has a reasonable chance of seeing it.
Examples of disclaimer wording are:
- This material is general in nature. It is made available on the understanding that the Commonwealth is not thereby engaged in rendering professional advice.
- Before relying on the material in any important matter, users should carefully evaluate its accuracy, currency, completeness and relevance for their purposes, and should obtain any appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances.
- In some cases the material may incorporate or summarise views, guidelines or recommendations of third parties. Such material is assembled in good faith, but does not necessarily reflect the considered views of the Commonwealth, or indicate a commitment to a particular course of action.
- Links to other web sites are inserted for convenience and do not constitute endorsement of material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service.
The use of disclaimers does not absolve an agency of its responsibility for:
- maintaining accurate information on its site
- keeping evidence, in the form of records, of which information was displayed on its site and at what time.
Who Can Help?
It is recommended that you seek legal advice to develop a disclaimer particular to your circumstances.
