{"id":"telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996","name":"Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996","slug":"telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"wa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":182188,"registerId":"wa-telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-05","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996","content":"![Crest]()Western Australia\n\nTelecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Act 1996\n\nTelecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996\n\nWestern Australia\n\nTelecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996\n\nContents\n\n1. Citation 1\n\n2. Commencement 1\n\n3. Interpretation 1\n\n4. Parliamentary Commissioner and officers of the Commissioner prescribed as inspecting officers 1\n\n5. Parliamentary Commissioner prescribed as principal inspector 2\n\nNotes\n\nCompilation table 3\n\n  \n\nWestern Australia\n\nTelecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Act 1996\n\nTelecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996\n\n##### 1. Citation\n\nThese regulations may be cited as the *Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996* 1.\n\n[Regulation 1 amended: Gazette 1 Jul 2011 p. 2746.]\n\n##### 2. Commencement\n\nThese regulations come into operation on the day on which the *Telecommunications (Interception) Western Australia Act 1996* 3 comes into operation 1 .\n\n##### 3. Interpretation\n\nIn these regulations —\n\n  officer of the Commissioner and Parliamentary Commissioner have the meanings given in section 19 of the Act.\n\n##### 4. Parliamentary Commissioner and officers of the Commissioner prescribed as inspecting officers\n\n(1) The Parliamentary Commissioner is an inspecting officer for the purposes of the Act.\n\n(2) Each officer of the Commissioner is an inspecting officer for the purposes of the Act.\n\n##### 5. Parliamentary Commissioner prescribed as principal inspector\n\nThe Parliamentary Commissioner is the principal inspector for the purposes of the Act.\n\nNotes\n\n1 This is a compilation of the *Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996* and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table. The table also contains information about any reprint.\n\nCompilation table\n\n| **Citation** | **Gazettal** | **Commencement** |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| *Telecommunications (Interception) Western Australia Regulations 1996* 2 | 24 Dec 1996 p. 7146 | 25 Dec 1996 (see r. 2 and *Gazette* 24 Dec 1996 p. 7099) |\n| **Reprint 1: The *Telecommunications (Interception) Western Australia Regulations 1996* as at 6 Feb 2004** | | |\n| *Telecommunications (Interception) Western Australia Amendment Regulations 2011* | 1 Jul 2011 p. 2745‑6 | r. 1 and 2: 1 Jul 2011 (see r. 2(a));   Regulations other than r. 1 and 2: 2 Jul 2011 (see r. 2(b) and *Gazette* 1 Jul 2011 p. 2713) |\n\n\n2 Now known as the *Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996*; citation changed (see note under r. 1)\n\n3 Now known as the *Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Act 1996.*\n\nDefined terms\n\n*[This is a list of terms defined and the provisions where they are defined. The list is not part of the law.]*\n\n**Defined term Provision(s)**\n\nofficer of the Commissioner 3\n\nParliamentary Commissioner 3\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"Compilation notes record a citation/name change to include \"Access\" and an amendment in 2011 (see compilation table and notes). The regulations' operative prescriptions—designating the Parliamentary Commissioner and officers as inspecting officers and naming the Parliamentary Commissioner as principal inspector—remain in the text supplied. The change appears nominal (title/citation broadened) with no further substantive expansion of the regulations' operative duties evident within this instrument."},"complexity_factors":["Very short instrument (five operative regulations plus notes) limiting internal complexity","Relies on the parent Act for substantive definitions and powers (cross-reference in r.3), so interpretive complexity shifts to the Act","Primary content is administrative designation of roles (rr.4–5) rather than procedural or technical rules","Commencement tied to the Act (r.2), so timing and effect depend on another instrument","Compilation and amendment history (2011 citation/name change) adds a small layer of historical/administrative tracing"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations name the Parliamentary Commissioner and the Commissioner's officers as the inspecting officers, and make the Parliamentary Commissioner the principal inspector, under the Telecommunications (Interception) Western Australia Act 1996. They set the rules for citation and commencement and rely on the Act for defined terms. The Commissioner's office therefore carries inspection responsibilities and the administrative costs of oversight and exercises the inspection discretion created by the Act."},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as the legislative text is unavailable. No comparison between original intent and current provisions is possible from the retrieved content."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative content was retrievable — the source URL returned a 'page not found' error","Analysis is impossible without the actual text of the regulations","Only the title and jurisdictional context are available for inference","Complexity cannot be meaningfully assessed on the underlying law from this data alone"],"plain_english_summary":"The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Western Australia Regulations 1996 (contents unavailable online) would set WA-level rules under the federal Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979, governing when and how state agencies can intercept communications or access stored communications data. They primarily affect law enforcement and government agencies seeking interception powers and individuals whose communications may be targeted.\n\nTo review the actual requirements, search the WA legislation site or contact the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office helpdesk, and check the Federal Register of Legislation."},"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"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations remain tightly scoped to their original purpose: prescribing the Parliamentary Commissioner and their officers as inspecting officers under the parent Act. The only amendment in 2011 was a name change (from 'Interception' to 'Interception and Access') to match corresponding changes to the parent Act, without expanding the substantive scope."},"complexity_factors":["Only 5 regulations total, with minimal substantive content","Just 2 defined terms ('officer of the Commissioner' and 'Parliamentary Commissioner')","No conditional logic, exceptions, or cross-references beyond basic references to the parent Act","Straightforward declaratory provisions (simply stating who holds which office)","No operational rules, procedures, or enforcement mechanisms — purely appointive/declaratory"],"plain_english_summary":"These regulations are a short, technical piece of Western Australian law that supports the main Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act. They simply appoint the **Parliamentary Commissioner** (the state's independent watchdog who investigates complaints about government agencies) and their staff as \"inspecting officers\" under the Act.\n\n**What this means:**\n- **Inspecting officers** are people with legal authority to check that police and other agencies are following the rules when they intercept (tap) phone calls or access stored communications.\n- The **Parliamentary Commissioner** is named as the *principal* inspector — the top dog for this oversight role.\n- The Commissioner's **officers** (their staff) are also given inspecting powers.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nWhen police or security agencies get warrants to listen to phone calls or read messages, someone independent needs to make sure they're not overstepping. These regulations ensure the Parliamentary Commissioner and their team have the legal status to do that checking in Western Australia. It's a safeguard against misuse of surveillance powers.\n\n**Key point:** This is purely about *who* has the job of oversight — it doesn't create any new surveillance powers or change how warrants work. That stuff is all in the main Act."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996","history":"/api/acts/telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996/history","analysis":"/api/acts/telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/telecommunications-interception-and-access-western-australia-regulations-1996/documents"}}