{"id":"F1997B01680","name":"Consular Privileges and Immunities Regulations","slug":"consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"286 of 1989","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":29290,"registerId":"commonwealth-F1997B01680-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Consular Privileges and Immunities Regulations","content":"![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.png)\n\nStatutory Rules 1989 No. 2861\n\nConsular Privileges and Immunities\n\nRegulations\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972.\n\nDated 25 October 1989.\n\nBILL HAYDEN\n\nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nJohn N Button\n\nMinister of State for Industry,\n\nTechnology and Commerce, for\n\nand on behalf of the\n\nMinister of State for Foreign Affairs\n\nand Trade\n\nCitation\n\n1. These Regulations may be cited as the Consular Privileges and Immunities Regulations.\n\nPrescribed overseas country\n\n2. The United States of America is prescribed for the purposes of the definition of “prescribed overseas country” in subsection 3 (1) of the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972.\n\nApplication\n\n3. Regulation 2 applies, and shall be deemed to have applied, in relation to purchases made on or after 1 July 1987.\n\nNOTE\n\n1\\. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 31 October 1989.\n\nPrinted by Authority by the Commonwealth Government Printer\n\n(S.R. 254/88) Cat. No. 14/7.4.1989","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains exactly as narrow as its original intent. It was designed to implement specific tax exemptions for consular missions through the prescription of countries, and that is precisely what it does—prescribing exactly one country. There is no scope creep; the instrument is a bare administrative implementation of the parent Act's framework."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 regulations total","Zero defined terms within the instrument itself (relies entirely on definitions in parent Act)","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the single mention of the parent Act","No conditional logic, exceptions, or procedural requirements","Single substantive action: prescribing one country by name","Retrospective application is straightforward (simple date trigger)"],"plain_english_summary":"This short regulation names the United States as a “prescribed overseas country” under the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972, so purchases by US diplomatic and consular personnel in Australia are exempt from certain sales taxes (and potentially customs duty). It affects US government buyers and Australian sellers, formalising reciprocal tax relief for diplomats and backdating the benefit to 1 July 1987 to correct or confirm prior practice."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Regulation 2 expands the Act’s territorial reach by designating the United States of America as a “prescribed overseas country” for the purposes of s 3(1) of the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972, and Regulation 3 makes that designation effective for purchases from 1 July 1987. The Regulations therefore alter the set of transactions/countries to which the Act’s consular purchase and privilege rules apply (Regs 2–3)."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision: only one substantive prescription (Reg 2) and an application clause (Reg 3).","Cross‑reference dependency: effect depends on the definition and mechanics in the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972 (s 3(1)), requiring consultation of that Act to see practical impact.","Retroactive application: Reg 3 deems the prescription to apply from 1 July 1987, which can raise interpretative or administrative questions for past transactions.","Limited procedural detail: no implementation or compliance mechanisms in the Regulations themselves—administrative effect will be handled under the primary Act or by executive practice.","Narrow scope of change: affects only the status of one overseas country rather than creating broad new rules or obligations."],"plain_english_summary":"These Regulations add the United States of America to the definition of “prescribed overseas country” in the Consular Privileges and Immunities Act 1972, so that the Act’s rules about consular purchases and related privileges apply in relation to the U.S. (Reg 2). The prescription is treated as having applied to purchases made on or after 1 July 1987 (Reg 3). The instrument was made by the Governor‑General under the Act."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations","history":"/api/acts/consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/consular-privileges-and-immunities-regulations/documents"}}