(b) anything as to which there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that it will afford evidence as to the commission of any such offence; or
(c) anything as to which there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that it is intended to be used for the purpose of committing any such offence.
Torres Strait Islander means a descendent of an indigenous inhabitant of the Torres Strait Islands.
wholly‑owned Commonwealth company has the meaning given by section 90 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
(2) In this Act, a reference to a fine includes a reference:
(a) to a pecuniary penalty other than a pecuniary penalty imposed:
(i) under Division 3 of Part XIII of the Customs Act 1901; or
(ii) by a pecuniary penalty order, a literary proceeds order or an unexplained wealth order made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; or
(iia) by a pecuniary penalty order made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1987; or
(iii) by a superannuation order made under the Australian Federal Police Act 1979; or
(iv) by a superannuation order made under the Crimes (Superannuation Benefits) Act 1989; or
(b) to costs or other amounts ordered to be paid by offenders.
(3) For the purposes of this Act, the relatives of a person are taken to include the following (without limitation):
(a) a de facto partner of the person;
(b) someone who is the child of the person, or of whom the person is the child, because of the definition of child in this section;
(c) anyone else who would be a relative of the person if someone mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) is taken to be a relative of the person.
3AA State offences that have a federal aspect
Object
(1A) The object of this section is to identify State offences that have a federal aspect because:
(a) they potentially fall within Commonwealth legislative power because of the elements of the State offence; or
(b) they potentially fall within Commonwealth legislative power because of the circumstances in which the State offence was committed (whether or not those circumstances are expressed to be acts or omissions involved in committing the offence); or
(c) the Australian Federal Police investigating them is incidental to the Australian Federal Police investigating an offence against a law of the Commonwealth or a Territory.
State offences that have a federal aspect
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a State offence has a federal aspect if, and only if:
(a) both:
(i) the State offence is not an ancillary offence; and
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(ii) assuming that the provision creating the State offence had been enacted by the Parliament of the Commonwealth instead of by the Parliament of the State—the provision would have been a valid law of the Commonwealth; or
(b) both:
(i) the State offence is an ancillary offence that relates to a particular primary offence; and
(ii) assuming that the provision creating the primary offence had been enacted by the Parliament of the Commonwealth instead of by the Parliament of the State—the provision would have been a valid law of the Commonwealth; or
(c) assuming that the Parliament of the Commonwealth had enacted a provision that created an offence penalising the specific acts or omissions involved in committing the State offence—that provision would have been a valid law of the Commonwealth; or
(d) both:
(i) the Australian Federal Police is investigating an offence against a law of the Commonwealth or a Territory; and
(ii) if the Australian Federal Police is investigating, or were to investigate, the State offence—that investigation is, or would be, incidental to the investigation mentioned in subparagraph (i).
Specificity of acts or omissions
(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c), the specificity of the acts or omissions involved in committing a State offence is to be determined having regard to the circumstances in which the offence was committed (whether or not those circumstances are expressed to be elements of the offence).
State offences covered by paragraph (1)(c)
(3) A State offence is taken to be covered by paragraph (1)(c) if the conduct constituting the State offence:
(a) affects the interests of:
(i) the Commonwealth; or
(ii) an authority of the Commonwealth; or
(iii) a constitutional corporation; or
(b) was engaged in by a constitutional corporation; or
(c) was engaged in in a Commonwealth place; or
(d) involved the use of a postal service or other like service; or
(e) involved an electronic communication; or
(f) involved trade or commerce:
(i) between Australia and places outside Australia; or
(ii) among the States; or
(iii) within a Territory, between a State and a Territory or between 2 Territories; or
(g) involved:
(i) banking (other than State banking not extending beyond the limits of the State concerned); or
(ii) insurance (other than State insurance not extending beyond the limits of the State concerned); or
(h) relates to a matter outside Australia; or
(i) relates to a matter in respect of which an international agreement to which Australia is a party imposes obligations to which effect could be given by the creation of an offence against the domestic laws of the parties to the agreement; or
(j) relates to a matter that affects the relations between Australia and another country or countries or is otherwise a subject of international concern.
(4) Subsection (3) does not limit paragraph (1)(c).
Definitions
(5) In this section:
ancillary offence, in relation to an offence (the primary offence), means:
(a) an offence of conspiring to commit the primary offence; or
(b) an offence of aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring, or being in any way knowingly concerned in, the commission of the primary offence; or
(c) an offence of attempting to commit the primary offence.
Commonwealth place has the same meaning as in the Commonwealth Places (Application of Laws) Act 1970.
conduct has the same meaning as in the Criminal Code.
constitutional corporation means a corporation to which paragraph 51(xx) of the Constitution applies.
electronic communication means a communication of information:
(a) whether in the form of text; or
(b) whether in the form of data; or
(c) whether in the form of speech, music or other sounds; or
(d) whether in the form of visual images (animated or otherwise); or
(e) whether in any other form; or
(f) whether in any combination of forms;
by means of guided and/or unguided electromagnetic energy.
engage in conduct has the same meaning as in the Criminal Code.
State includes the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
State offence means an offence against a law of a State.
Note: Subsection 3(1) defines State to include the Northern Territory.
3A Operation of Act
This Act applies throughout the whole of the Commonwealth and the Territories and also applies beyond the Commonwealth and the Territories.
3B Arrangements with States, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory
(1) The Governor‑General may make arrangements with the Governor of a State, the Government of the Australian Capital Territory or the Administrator of the Northern Territory for:
(a) officers of the State or Territory to exercise powers and perform functions; and
(b) facilities and procedures of the State or Territory to be made available;
in relation to the carrying out or enforcement under this Act of orders made under this Act or another Act.
(2) In this Act:
(a) a reference to a participating State is a reference to a State in relation to which an arrangement is in force under subsection (1) of this section; and
(b) a reference to a participating Territory:
(i) is a reference to a Territory other than the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory; and
(ii) if an arrangement is in force under subsection (1) of this section in relation to the Australian Capital Territory—includes a reference to the Australian Capital Territory; and
(iii) if an arrangement is in force under subsection (1) of this section in relation to the Northern Territory—includes a reference to the Northern Territory.
(3) In this section:
order includes a sentence.
State does not include the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory.
3BA Application of the Criminal Code
Chapter 2 of the Criminal Code applies to all offences against this Act.
Note: Chapter 2 of the Criminal Code sets out the general principles of criminal responsibility.
Part IAA—Search, information gathering, arrest and related powers (other than powers under delayed notification search warrants)
Division 1—Preliminary
3C Interpretation
(1) In this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:
account‑based data has the meaning given by section 3CAA.
carrier means:
(a) a carrier within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997; or
(b) a carriage service provider within the meaning of that Act.
communication in transit means a communication (within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997) passing over a telecommunications network (within the meaning of that Act).
constable assisting, in relation to a warrant, means:
(a) a person who is a constable and who is assisting in executing the warrant; or
(b) a person who is not a constable and who has been authorised by the relevant executing officer to assist in executing the warrant.
data held in a computer includes:
(a) data held in any removable data storage device for the time being held in a computer; or
(b) data held in a data storage device on a computer network of which the computer forms a part.
digital asset means:
(a) a digital representation of value or rights (including rights to property), the ownership of which is evidenced cryptographically and that is held and transferred electronically by:
(i) a type of distributed ledger technology; or
(ii) another distributed cryptographically verifiable data structure; or
(b) a right or thing prescribed by the regulations;
but does not include any right or thing that, under the regulations, is taken not to be a digital asset for the purposes of this Part.
electronic service has the same meaning as in the Online Safety Act 2021.
emergency situation, in relation to the execution of a warrant in relation to premises, means a situation that the executing officer or a constable assisting believes, on reasonable grounds, involves a serious and imminent threat to a person’s life, health or safety that requires the executing officer and constables assisting to leave the premises.
evidential material means a thing relevant to an indictable offence or a thing relevant to a summary offence, including such a thing in electronic form.
executing officer, in relation to a warrant, means:
(a) the constable named in the warrant by the issuing officer as being responsible for executing the warrant; or
(b) if that constable does not intend to be present at the execution of the warrant—another constable whose name has been written in the warrant by the constable so named; or
(c) another constable whose name has been written in the warrant by the constable last named in the warrant.
frisk search means:
(a) a search of a person conducted by quickly running the hands over the person’s outer garments; and
(b) an examination of anything worn or carried by the person that is conveniently and voluntarily removed by the person.
issuing officer, in relation to a warrant to search premises or a person or a warrant for arrest under this Part, means:
(a) a magistrate; or
(b) a justice of the peace or other person employed in a court of a State or Territory who is authorised to issue search warrants or warrants for arrest, as the case may be.
Note: Under section 3ZZBJ, an eligible issuing officer (within the meaning of Part IAAA) may, as specified in that section, consider and deal with an application for a warrant as if the eligible issuing officer were an issuing officer within the meaning of this Part.
magistrate, in sections 3ZI, 3ZJ, 3ZK, 3ZN and 3ZQZB, has a meaning affected by section 3CA.
offence means:
(a) an offence against a law of the Commonwealth (other than the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982); or
(b) an offence against a law of a Territory; or
(c) a State offence that has a federal aspect.
ordinary search means a search of a person or of articles in the possession of a person that may include:
(a) requiring the person to remove his or her overcoat, coat or jacket and any gloves, shoes and hat; and
(b) an examination of those items.
police station includes:
(a) a police station of a State or Territory; and
(b) a building occupied by the Australian Federal Police.
premises includes a place and a conveyance.
recently used conveyance, in relation to a search of a person, means a conveyance that the person had operated or occupied at any time within 24 hours before the search commenced.
seizable item means anything that would present a danger to a person or that could be used to assist a person to escape from lawful custody.
seize, for a digital asset, has a meaning affected by subsection 3FA(8).
serious offence means an offence:
(a) that is punishable by imprisonment for 2 years or more; and
(b) that is one of the following:
(i) a Commonwealth offence;
(ii) an offence against a law of a State that has a federal aspect;
(iii) an offence against a law of a Territory; and
(c) that is not a serious terrorism offence.
serious terrorism offence means:
(a) a terrorism offence (other than offence against section 102.8, Division 104, Division 105 or section 112.7 of the Criminal Code); or
(b) an offence against a law of a State:
(i) that has a federal aspect; and
(ii) that has the characteristics of a terrorism offence (other than such an offence that has the characteristics of an offence against section 102.8, Division 104, Division 105 or section 112.7 of the Criminal Code); or
(c) an offence against a law of a Territory that has the characteristics of a terrorism offence (other than such an offence that has the characteristics of an offence against section 102.8, Division 104, Division 105 or section 112.7 of the Criminal Code).
strip search means a search of a person or of articles in the possession of a person that may include:
(a) requiring the person to remove all of his or her garments; and
(b) an examination of the person’s body (but not of the person’s body cavities) and of those garments.
telecommunications facility means a facility within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997.
warrant means a warrant under this Part.
warrant premises means premises in relation to which a warrant is in force.
(2) A person referred to in paragraph (b) of the definition of constable assisting in subsection (1) must not take part in searching or arresting a person.
3CAA Account‑based data
(1) For the purposes of this Part, if:
(a) an electronic service has accounts for end‑users; and
(b) either:
(i) a person holds an account with the electronic service; or
(ii) a person is, or is likely to be, a user of an account with the electronic service; and
(c) the person can (with the use of appropriate equipment) access particular data provided by the service;
the data is account‑based data in relation to the person.
(2) For the purposes of this Part, if:
(a) an electronic service has accounts for end‑users; and
(b) either:
(i) a deceased person held, before the person’s death, an account with the electronic service; or
(ii) a deceased person, before the person’s death, was, or was likely to be, a user of an account with the electronic service; and
(c) the deceased person could, before the person’s death (with the use of appropriate equipment), access particular data provided by the service;
the data is account‑based data in relation to the deceased person.
(3) For the purposes of this section, account has the same meaning as in the Online Safety Act 2021.
3CA Nature of functions of magistrate
(1) A function of making an order conferred on a magistrate by section 3ZI, 3ZJ, 3ZK, 3ZN or 3ZQZB is conferred on the magistrate in a personal capacity and not as a court or a member of a court.
(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), an order made by a magistrate under section 3ZI, 3ZJ, 3ZK, 3ZN or 3ZQZB has effect only by virtue of this Act and is not to be taken by implication to be made by a court.
(3) A magistrate performing a function of, or connected with, making an order under section 3ZI, 3ZJ, 3ZK, 3ZN or 3ZQZB has the same protection and immunity as if he or she were performing that function as, or as a member of, a court (being the court of which the magistrate is a member).
(4) The Governor‑General may make arrangements with the Governor of a State, the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory or the Administrator of the Northern Territory for the performance, by all or any of the persons who from time to time hold office as magistrates in that State or Territory, of the function of making orders under sections 3ZI, 3ZJ, 3ZK, 3ZN and 3ZQZB.
3D Application of Part
(1) This Part is not intended to limit or exclude the operation of another law of the Commonwealth (including other provisions of this Act) relating to:
(a) the search of premises; or
(b) arrest and related matters; or
(c) the stopping, detaining or searching of conveyances or persons; or
(d) the seizure of things; or
(e) the requesting of information or documents from persons.
(2) To avoid any doubt, it is declared that even though another law of the Commonwealth (including other provisions of this Act) provides power to do one or more of the things referred to in subsection (1), a similar power conferred by this Part may be used despite the existence of the power under the other law.
(4) This Part is not intended to limit or exclude the operation of a law of a Territory relating to: