Rails for Consequence — 2026 critical revision and implementation companion for human and AI-assisted public decisions

Author-approved 2026 critical revision and implementation companion — 24 October 2026. Start with Rails-2026-critical-revision.pdf or the downloadable structured HTML reading edition. Editable Markdown and the supporting-materials ZIP include the mapped audit, source notes, starter forms, four blank CSV templates and a provisional action-record schema.

This is a new version of Rails for Consequence, manuscript v0.9.1 / repository v1. It extends the Green Paper's matched accessible and technical reasons, real options, independent approval, outcome measures and repair to human and AI-assisted public decisions. The new proposal adds external per-action authorisation checks, source/version evidence, approval expiry, uncertain-effect reconciliation, tested stop/recovery requirements and accountable human challenge routes. These are proposed designs, not deployed or validated controls.

Currentness: the targeted source check dated 24 October 2026 covers the DTA responsible-AI policy v2.1 update of 21 October 2026, existing Australian Government agentic-AI guidance, the Commonwealth Ombudsman's March 2025 automated-decision guide and current OAIC guidance. The new APP automated-decision privacy-policy transparency requirements commence on 10 December 2026; they are future obligations at this release date, not a universal present right to reasons or appeal. Commonwealth guidance is not automatically a WA, Victorian, judicial or private-sector legal rule.

Corrections and limits: the companion replaces unsupported completed-custodianship claims, uncosted payback forecasts and inconsistent repair clocks/denominators with explicit readiness, measurement and review requirements. No government adoption, independent custodian appointment, fiscal saving, completed legal/security review, participant evaluation or real pilot is claimed. No new legal power, review entitlement, compensation authority or stay of an appeal deadline is created. AI-assisted preparation and internal editorial cross-checks are disclosed; author approval is not independent professional validation.

Historical originals preserved: all eight original attachments remain unchanged: the v0.9.1 Green Paper, Annexes A–E, Draft Model Templates and coverage workbook. The new companion supersedes conflicting operational claims for the proposed 2026 pilot. Earlier annexes and legal templates remain historical, are not a consolidated current-law redraft and are not recommended for direct adoption pending jurisdiction-specific professional review. In particular, obsolete institutional references and citation debris in the exposure draft require substantive correction; proposed clauses are not enacted law.

Accessibility, privacy and reuse: HTML, selectable-text print PDF and editable text are supplied; independent accessibility testing remains pending and no PDF/UA, PDF/A or complete WCAG certification is claimed. Only blank starter records are public; populated case records, credentials and private correspondence must not enter the release history. ZELEN, G. Manuscript revision 2026.10. New prose and original starter materials: CC BY 4.0. Historical notices and existing record licences, including MIT for applicable code material, are preserved.