CTHIn ForceBill
Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Bill 2026
185Possession and control of information3
Start here
Get a plain-English read of 185
Turn the raw legal text into a practical explanation grounded in Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Bill 2026.
185 Possession and control of information3
Possession and control by ACIC4
(1) The ACIC is taken, for all purposes, not to be in possession or5
control of national policing information, unless the ACIC is either6
the contributor or a user of the information.7
Possession and control by contributor8
(2) National policing information is taken, for all purposes, to be in the9
possession and control of the contributor.10
Possession and control by user11
(3) To avoid doubt, a user of national policing information is also in12
possession and control of the information as long as the user13
accesses or retains the information.14
(4) In addition, a user of national policing information is taken to have15
been given the information by the contributor.16
Liability of ACIC as administrator17
(5) The ACIC is not subject to any civil or criminal liability for, or in18
relation to anything done, or omitted to be done:19
(a) in its capacity as the administrator of the national policing20
information system; or21
(b) by another contributor or user of national policing22
information.23
(6) However, paragraph (5)(a) does not apply in relation to:24
(a) a failure by the ACIC to take reasonable steps to restrict25
access to national policing information as instructed by the26
contributor; or27
(b) a failure by the ACIC to take reasonable steps to28
communicate conditions on access to, or use of, national29
policing information as instructed by the contributor.30
The national policing information system Division 2
No. , 2026 Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission Bill 2026 199
186 Disclosing national policing information to courts etc.1
(1) This section applies to:2
(a) proceedings before a court (whether exercising federal3
jurisdiction or not); and4
(b) proceedings before any tribunal, authority or person having5
power to require the production of documents or the6
answering of questions.7
(2) A person who is or has been the Director-General or an ACIC staff8
member must not be required to disclose in the proceedings9
national policing information in relation to which the ACIC is10
neither the contributor nor a user.11
(3) However, subsection (2) does not apply:12
(a) if the ACIC is a party to the proceedings; or13
(b) if the Director-General or the ACIC staff member is a party14
to the proceedings in the Director-General or the ACIC staff15
member’s official capacity; or16
(c) to the extent that the disclosure is necessary for the purposes17
of a provision of any of the following:18
(i) this Act or an instrument made under this Act;19
(ii) a law of a State, the Australian Capital Territory or the20
Northern Territory that confers duties, functions or21
powers on the ACIC, the Director-General or an ACIC22
staff member;23
(iii) the National Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2022 or24
regulations under that Act;25
(iv) the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act26
1986, or any other Act, or instrument made under an27
Act, that confers functions, duties or powers on the28
Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security;29
(v) the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law30
Enforcement Act 2010;31
(vi) Schedule 1 to the Intelligence Services Act 2001;32
(vii) any other law of the Commonwealth, a State, the33
Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory34