{"id":"F2005B01927","name":"Application of Laws Ordinance 1989 (ACI)","slug":"application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":112265,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005B01927-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Application of Laws Ordinance 1989 (ACI)","content":"THE TERRITORY OF ASHMORE AND CARTIER ISLANDS\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nApplication of Laws Ordinance 1989\n\nNo. 2 of 1989\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Ordinance under the Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Act 1933.\n\nDated 29 august 1989.\n\nBILL HAYDEN\n\nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\nMinister of State for the Arts, Tourism and Territories\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nAn Ordinance applying some laws and repealing others\n\nShort title\n\n1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Application of Laws Ordinance 1989.1\n\nCommencement\n\n2. This Ordinance commences on the day on which the Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Amendment Act 1985 comes into operation.\n\nRepeal\n\n3. Subject to section 4, the laws in force in the Territory specified in Schedule 1 are repealed.\n\n \n\nProhibition of certain acts that are prohibited in the Northern Territory\n\n4\\. (1) Where under an Act of the Northern Territory specified in Schedule 2, as in force from time to time, a person is prohibited from doing an act in that Territory unless he or she is permitted, in a manner specified in that Act, to do that act, a person shall not do that act in the Territory unless he or she is so permitted to do that act in the Northern Territory or unless he or she is permitted to do that act in a State, or another Territory, in a manner specified in a law of that State or of that other Territory.\n\nPenalty: (a) if the offender is a natural person—$1,000 or imprisonment for 6 months or both; or\n\n(b) if the offender is a body corporate—$5,000.\n\n(2) Where, in proceedings for an offence against subsection (1) in respect of any conduct engaged in by a corporation, it is necessary to establish the state of mind of the corporation, it is sufficient to show that a director, servant or agent of the corporation, being a director, servant or agent who engaged in the conduct within the scope of his or her actual or apparent authority, had that state of mind.\n\n(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), any conduct engaged in on behalf of a corporation:\n\n(a) by a director, servant or agent of the corporation within the scope of his or her actual or apparent authority; or\n\n(b) by any other person at the direction or with the consent or agreement (whether express or implied) of a director, servant or agent of the corporation, where the giving of such direction, consent or agreement is within the scope of the actual or apparent authority of the director, servant or agent;\n\nshall be deemed to have been engaged in by the corporation.\n\n(4) The reference in subsection (2) to the state of mind of a person includes a reference to the knowledge, intention, opinion, belief or purpose of the person and the person’s reasons for his or her intention, opinion, belief or purpose.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\n \n\nSCHEDULE 1 Section 3\n\nLAWS REPEALED\n\n| Item | Act |\n| ---- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |\n| 1 | Abattoirs and Slaughtering Act |\n| 2 | Aboriginal Land Act |\n| 3 | Aboriginal Sacred Sites Act |\n| 4 | Administrators Pensions Act |\n| 5 | Adoption of Children Act |\n| 6 | Advanced Education and Darwin Institute of Technology Act |\n| 7 | Agricultural Development and Marketing Act |\n| 8 | Anglican Church of Australia Act |\n| 9 | All Appropriation Acts |\n| 10 | Angurugu Community Government Council (Water Pollution) Act |\n| 11 | Araluen Arts and Cultural Trust Repeal Act 1986 |\n| 12 | Architects Act |\n| 13 | Auctioneers Act |\n| 14 | Aviation Act |\n| 15 | Brands Act |\n| 16 | Building Act |\n| 17 | Building Societies Act |\n| 18 | Bushfires Act |\n| 19 | Business Franchise (Tobacco) Act |\n| 20 | Business Names Act |\n| 21 | Caravan Parks Act |\n| 22 | Casino Licensing and Control Act |\n| 23 | Catholic Church in the Northern Territory Act |\n| 24 | Cemeteries Act |\n| 25 | Cigarette Containers (Labelling) Act |\n| 26 | Claims by and against the Government Act |\n| 27 | Classification of Publications Act |\n| 28 | Coal Act |\n| 29 | Cobourg Peninsula Aboriginal Land and Sanctuary Act |\n| 30 | Commercial Arbitration Act |\n| 31 | Commercial and Private Agents Licensing Act |\n| 32 | Commission of Inquiry (Chamberlain Convictions) Act |\n| 33 | Community Welfare Act |\n| 34 | Companies Act |\n| 35 | Companies (Acquisition of Shares) (Application of Laws) Act |\n| 36 | Companies (Administration) Act |\n| 37 | Companies (Application of Laws) Act |\n| 38 | Companies and Securities (Consequential Amendments) Act |\n| 39 | Companies and Securities (Interpretation and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Application of Laws) Act |\n| 40 | Companies (Trustees and Personal Representatives) Act |\n| 41 | Companies (Unclaimed Assets and Moneys) Act |\n| 42 | Conservation Commission Act |\n| 43 | Contracts Act |\n| 44 | Control of Roads Act |\n| 45 | Co-operative Societies Act |\n| 46 | Co-operative Trading Societies (Loans Guarantee) Act |\n| 47 | Credit Unions Act |\n| 48 | Criminal Investigation (Extra-territorial Offences) Act |\n| 49 | Crown Lands Act |\n| 50 | Crown Lands (Validation of Leases) Act |\n| 51 | Crown Lands (Validation of Proclamations) Act |\n\n \n\nSCHEDULE 1—continued\n\n| Item | Act |\n| ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 52 | Cyclone Disaster Emergency Act |\n| 53 | Cyclone Disaster (Moratorium) Act |\n| 54 | Dairies Supervision Act |\n| 55 | Darwin Port Authority Act |\n| 56 | Darwin Radio—Telegraph Station Act |\n| 57 | Darwin Rates Act |\n| 58 | Dental Act |\n| 59 | Disasters Act |\n| 60 | Disposal of Uncollected Goods Act |\n| 61 | Dog Act |\n| 62 | Door to Door Sales Act |\n| 63 | Early Closing Act |\n| 64 | Education Act |\n| 65 | Electoral Act |\n| 66 | Electrical Workers and Contractors Act |\n| 67 | Electricity Commission Act |\n| 68 | Encroachment of Buildings Act |\n| 69 | Energy Pipelines Act |\n| 70 | Energy Resource Consumption Levy Act |\n| 71 | Exotic Diseases (Animals) Compensation Act |\n| 72 | Federal Hotels Casino (Compensation) Act |\n| 73 | Fences Act |\n| 74 | Film Classification Act |\n| 75 | Financial Administration and Audit Act |\n| 76 | Fire Service Act |\n| 77 | Fire Service Arbitral Repeal Act |\n| 78 | Fish and Fisheries Act |\n| 79 | Flag and Emblem Act |\n| 80 | Forestry Act |\n| 81 | Futures Industry (Application of Laws) Act |\n| 82 | Grain Marketing Act |\n| 83 | Guardianship of Infants Act |\n| 84 | Hawkers Act |\n| 85 | Health Practitioners and Allied Professionals Registration Act |\n| 86 | Hire-Purchase Act |\n| 87 | Hospital Management Boards Act |\n| 88 | Hotel-keepers Act |\n| 89 | Housing Act |\n| 90 | Housing Loans Act |\n| 91 | Human Tissue Transplant Act |\n| 92 | Industry and Employment Training Act |\n| 93 | Intestate Aboriginals (Distribution of Estates) Act |\n| 94 | Jabiru Town Development Act |\n| 95 | Land and Business Agents Act |\n| 96 | Lands Acquisition Act |\n| 97 | Lands Acquisition (Pastoral Leases) Act |\n| 98 | Law Officers Act |\n| 99 | Legal Practitioners Act |\n| 100 | Legal Practitioners (Incorporation) Act |\n| 101 | Legislative Assembly Members’ Superannuation Act |\n| 102 | Legislative Assembly Members’ Remuneration Act |\n| 103 | Legislative Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Act |\n| 104 | Legislative Assembly (Register of Members’ Interests) Act |\n\n \n\nSCHEDULE 1—continued\n\n| Item | Act |\n| ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 105 | Legislative Assembly (Speaker) Act |\n| 106 | Licensed Surveyors Act |\n| 107 | Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Subsidy) Act |\n| 108 | Liquor Act |\n| 109 | Litter Act |\n| 110 | Loans Redemption Fund Act |\n| 111 | Local Government Act |\n| 112 | Local Government Grants Commission Act |\n| 113 | Lotteries and Gaming Act |\n| 114 | Marine Act |\n| 115 | Marine Act 1981 |\n| 116 | Marine Board and Navigation Act, 1881 |\n| 117 | Marketable Securities Act |\n| 118 | Marriage Validating Act |\n| 119 | Meat Industry Act |\n| 120 | Medical Practitioners Registration Act |\n| 121 | Medical Services Act |\n| 122 | Menzies School of Health Research Act |\n| 123 | Mineral Royalty Act |\n| 124 | Minerals (Acquisition) Act |\n| 125 | Mines Safety Control Act |\n| 126 | Mining Act |\n| 127 | Mining Assistance Act |\n| 128 | Mining (Gove Peninsula Nabalco Agreement) Act |\n| 129 | Money-lenders Act |\n| 130 | Mortgagors’ Interest Reduction Act |\n| 131 | Motor Accidents (Compensation) Act |\n| 132 | Motor Vehicles Act |\n| 133 | Motor Vehicle Dealers Act |\n| 134 | Museums and Art Galleries Act |\n| 135 | National Companies and Securities Commission (Northern Territory Provisions) Act |\n| 136 | National Crime Authority (Territory Provisions) Act |\n| 137 | National Trust (Northern Territory) Act |\n| 138 | Native and Historical Objects and Areas Preservation Act |\n| 139 | Northern Territory Land Corporation Act |\n| 140 | Northern Territory Products Symbol Act |\n| 141 | Northern Territory Tourist Commission Act |\n| 142 | Noxious Weeds Act |\n| 143 | Nudity Act |\n| 144 | Nursing Act |\n| 145 | Off-shore Waters (Application of Territory Laws) Act |\n| 146 | Oil Refinery Agreement Ratification Act |\n| 147 | Ombudsman (Northern Territory) Act |\n| 148 | Optometrists Act |\n| 149 | Palmerston Development Authority Repeal Act |\n| 150 | Pawnbrokers Act |\n| 151 | Pay-roll Tax Act |\n| 152 | Pet Meat Act |\n| 153 | Petroleum Act |\n| 154 | Petroleum Products Subsidy Act |\n| 155 | Petroleum (Submerged Lands) Act |\n| 156 | Pharmacy Act |\n| 157 | Place Names Act |\n| 158 | Places of Public Entertainment Act |\n\n \n\nSCHEDULE 1—continued\n\n| Item | Act |\n| ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 159 | Planning Act |\n| 160 | Planning (Validation) Act |\n| 161 | Plant Diseases Control Act |\n| 162 | Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Act |\n| 163 | Power and Water Authority Act |\n| 164 | Presbyterian Church (Northern Territory) Property Trust Act |\n| 165 | Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act |\n| 166 | Prevention of Pollution of Waters by Oil Act |\n| 167 | Prices Regulation Act |\n| 168 | Printers and Newspapers Act |\n| 169 | Prisons (Arbitral Tribunal) Act |\n| 170 | Prisons (Correctional Services) Act |\n| 171 | Private Hospitals and Nursing Homes Act |\n| 172 | Public Employment (Modification of Terms and Conditions of Employment) Act |\n| 173 | Public Service Act |\n| 174 | Racing and Betting Act |\n| 175 | Racing, Gaming and Liquor Commission Act |\n| 176 | Radiographers Act |\n| 177 | Real Property Act |\n| 178 | Real Property (Insurance Money Application) Act |\n| 179 | Real Property (Special Provisions) Act |\n| 180 | Real Property (Unit Titles) Act |\n| 181 | Remuneration (Statutory Bodies) Act |\n| 182 | Remuneration Tribunal Act |\n| 183 | Road Safety Council Act |\n| 184 | Salvation Army (Northern Territory) Property Trust Act |\n| 185 | Securities Industry (Application of Laws) Act |\n| 186 | Shire of Litchfield (Transitional Rating) Act |\n| 187 | Silicosis and Tuberculosis (Mine-workers and Prospectors) Act |\n| 188 | Soccer Football Pools Act |\n| 189 | Soil Conservation and Land Utilization Act |\n| 190 | Special Purposes Leases Act |\n| 191 | Status of Darwin Act |\n| 192 | Stock (Artificial Breeding) Act |\n| 193 | Stock Diseases Act |\n| 194 | Stock Foods Act |\n| 195 | Stock Routes and Travelling Stock Act |\n| 196 | Superannuation Act |\n| 197 | All Supply Acts |\n| 198 | Supreme Court (Judges Long Leave Payments) Act |\n| 199 | Supreme Court (Judges Pensions) Act |\n| 200 | Supreme Court Ordinance Repeal Act |\n| 201 | Taxation (Administration) Act |\n| 202 | Teaching Service Act |\n| 203 | Tenancy Act |\n| 204 | Territory Insurance Office Act |\n| 205 | Territory Loans Management Corporation Act |\n| 206 | Territory Motor Vehicles (Liability) Act |\n| 207 | Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act |\n| 208 | The Commercial Bank of Australia Limited (Merger) Act |\n| 209 | The Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Limited (Merger) Act |\n| 210 | Totalizator Administration and Betting Act |\n| 211 | Trade Development Zone Act |\n\n \n\nSCHEDULE 1—continued\n\n| Item | Act |\n| ---- | ------------------------------------------------ |\n| 212 | Traffic Act |\n| 213 | Transfer of Powers Act |\n| 214 | Transfer of Powers (Further Provisions) Act |\n| 215 | Transfer of Powers (Health) Act |\n| 216 | Transfer of Powers (Law) Act |\n| 217 | Transfer of Powers (Self-Government) Act |\n| 218 | Unit Titles Act |\n| 219 | Uniting Church in Australia Act |\n| 220 | University College of the Northern Territory Act |\n| 221 | Uranium Mining (Environmental Control) Act |\n| 222 | Validation (Conditions of Service) Act |\n| 223 | Valuation of Land Act |\n| 224 | Veterinary Surgeons Act |\n| 225 | Water Supplies Development Act |\n| 226 | Yulara Tourist Village Management Act |\n| | |\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nSCHEDULE 2 Subsection 4 (1)\n\nACTS OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY\n\n| Item | Act |\n| ---- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |\n| 1 | Dental Act |\n| 2 | Electrical Workers and Contractors Act |\n| 3 | Health Practitioners and Allied Professionals Registration Act |\n| 4 | Legal Practitioners Act |\n| 5 | Licensed Surveyors Act |\n| 6 | Medical Practitioners Registration Act |\n| 7 | Nursing Act |\n| 8 | Optometrists Act |\n| 9 | Pharmacy Act |\n| 10 | Plumbers and Drainers Licensing Act |\n| 11 | Radiographers Act |\n| 12 | Veterinary Surgeons Act |\n| | |\n\nNOTE\n\n1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 5 September 1989.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains tightly focused on its original purpose: rationalising the legal framework for an uninhabited external territory. It does not expand beyond administrative clean-up and professional licensing regulation."},"complexity_factors":["Short statute with only 4 operative sections plus schedules","No defined terms section — relies on external definitions from Northern Territory Acts","Simple conditional structure in section 4(1): prohibition applies unless permitted under NT law OR permitted under State/Territory law","Standard corporate attribution provisions (sections 4(2)-(4)) using familiar Commonwealth criminal law concepts","Extensive schedules (226 repealed Acts, 12 applied Acts) but these are purely mechanical lists with no interpretive complexity","Single cross-reference to commencement tied to an external Act (Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Amendment Act 1985)"],"plain_english_summary":"This Ordinance cleans up the law for the Ashmore and Cartier Islands by repealing 226 Northern Territory statutes that were inappropriate for an uninhabited external territory and by importing 12 NT laws solely to regulate professional qualifications. It means anyone performing regulated work there (medical, legal, electrical, veterinary, etc.) must hold appropriate NT or state/territory registration.\n\nIt chiefly affects visiting scientists, contractors and the Commonwealth administration, preserving essential professional safeguards while removing irrelevant local governance rules; penalties include up to $1,000/6 months jail (individuals) or $5,000 (companies)."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":7,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Ordinance's operative text consistently does two things: (a) repeal the listed Territory laws (s3, Schedule 1) and (b) create a prohibition regime that mirrors specified Northern Territory Acts (s4, Schedule 2) subject to permissions under NT or other State/Territory laws. There is no provision in the instrument itself that expands or narrows that core mechanism beyond those two functions; the dynamic incorporation language in s4 merely allows the scope of the mirrored NT Acts to change over time."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive repeal list: Schedule 1 removes a very large number of previously in-force Territory Acts across diverse regulatory fields (s3, Sch 1).","Conditional commencement: operation depends on the coming-into-force of an earlier Act (s2), adding temporal complexity.","Cross-jurisdictional incorporation: s4(1) applies Northern Territory Acts “as in force from time to time,” creating dynamic reference to external law which changes scope without amending this Ordinance.","Cross-permission rule: s4(1) allows conduct only if permitted under the NT or another State/Territory law, creating multi-jurisdictional compliance obligations.","Criminal penalties with differential corporate exposure: s4(1) sets distinct penalties for natural persons and bodies corporate; s4(2)–(4) provide rules for attributing mental state and conduct to corporations.","Partial repeal caveat: s3 repeals laws except as preserved by s4, producing interaction between repeal and continued prohibitions that requires careful reading.","Wide subject-matter impact: repealed Acts and imported NT Acts cover health, professional regulation, property, mining, criminal law, commercial law and more, raising regulatory and administrative coordination issues."],"plain_english_summary":"This Ordinance repeals a long list of laws previously in force in the Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands and makes it an offence to do in the Territory acts that are prohibited under certain Northern Territory Acts unless permitted under the Northern Territory or another State/Territory law. It prescribes fines and possible imprisonment for individuals and higher fines for corporations. The Ordinance takes effect when the Ashmore and Cartier Islands Acceptance Amendment Act 1985 commences and imports later changes to the cited NT Acts."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci","history":"/api/acts/application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci/history","analysis":"/api/acts/application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/application-of-laws-ordinance-1989-aci/documents"}}