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Commonwealth act
This is the founding legislation for ASIO — the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation — Australia's domestic spy agency. Think of it as the rulebook for how Australia's main internal security service operates.
ASIO's job is to protect Australia from threats like:
A Director-General of Security — appointed by the Governor-General — runs the organisation. The Home Affairs Minister can give directions, but critically cannot override the Director-General on whether to collect intelligence on a specific person, or what advice ASIO should give. This protects ASIO from being weaponised for political purposes.
The Act gives ASIO significant surveillance and investigation tools, including:
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Direct links to the current provisions in Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979.
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View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
All major warrants require approval from the Attorney-General (Australia's chief law officer), not just a judge — which is unusual and controversial.
This law defines the boundary between national security and civil liberties in Australia. It gives a government agency significant covert powers — including the ability to secretly enter your home, access your computer, or tap your phone — with limited judicial oversight. Balancing these powers against democratic rights is one of the most contested areas of Australian law.