(2) A function or power conferred on a Judge by this Part is conferred on the Judge in a personal capacity and not as a court or a member of a court.
(3) A Judge has, in relation to the performance or exercise of a function or power conferred on an eligible issuing officer by this Part, the same protection and immunity as if he or she were performing that function, or exercising that power, as, or as a member of, a court (being the court of which the Judge is a member).
(4) A nominated ART member has, in relation to the performance or exercise of a function or power conferred on an eligible issuing officer by this Part, the same protection and immunity as a Justice of the High Court has in relation to proceedings in the High Court.
3ZZAE Consent of Judges
(1) A Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, or of the Supreme Court of a State or Territory, may, by writing, consent to be declared an eligible issuing officer by the Minister administering the Judiciary Act 1903 under subsection (2).
(2) The Minister administering the Judiciary Act 1903 may, by writing, declare a Judge in relation to whom a consent under subsection (1) is in force to be an eligible issuing officer for the purposes of this Part.
(3) A consent or declaration under this section is not a legislative instrument.
3ZZAF Nominated ART members
(1) The Minister administering the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 (the ART Minister) may, by writing, nominate a person who holds one of the following appointments to the Administrative Review Tribunal to issue delayed notification search warrants and perform related functions under this Act:
(a) Deputy President;
(b) a senior member appointed on a salaried basis.
(2) Despite subsection (1), the ART Minister must not nominate a person who holds an appointment as a senior member on a salaried basis of the Tribunal unless the person:
(a) is enrolled as a legal practitioner of the High Court, of another federal court or of the Supreme Court of a State or of the Australian Capital Territory; and
(b) has been so enrolled for not less than 5 years.
(3) A nomination ceases to be in force if:
(a) the nominated ART member ceases to hold an appointment described in subsection (1); or
(b) the ART Minister, by writing, withdraws the nomination.
Division 2—Issue of delayed notification search warrants
Subdivision A—The normal process for applying for and issuing delayed notification search warrants
3ZZBA Eligible officer may seek authorisation to apply for a delayed notification search warrant
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(a) suspects, on reasonable grounds, that one or more eligible offences have been, are being, are about to be or are likely to be committed; and
(b) suspects, on reasonable grounds, that entry and search of particular premises will substantially assist in the prevention or investigation of one or more of those offences; and
(c) believes, on reasonable grounds, that it is necessary for the entry and search of the premises to be conducted without the knowledge of the occupier of the premises or any other person present at the premises;
the eligible officer may seek the authorisation of the chief officer of the agency to apply for a delayed notification search warrant in respect of the premises.
3ZZBB Authorisation to apply for a delayed notification search warrant
Scope
(1A) This section applies if an eligible officer of an eligible agency seeks the authorisation of the chief officer of the agency to apply for a delayed notification search warrant in respect of particular premises.
Authorisation
(1) The chief officer may, in writing, authorise the eligible officer to apply for the delayed notification search warrant if the chief officer is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for the eligible officer to have:
(a) the suspicions mentioned in paragraphs 3ZZBA(a) and (b); and
(b) the belief mentioned in paragraph 3ZZBA(c).
(2) The chief officer may orally (in person or by telephone or other means of voice communication) authorise the eligible officer to apply for the delayed notification search warrant if the chief officer is satisfied that:
(a) there are reasonable grounds for the eligible officer to have:
(i) the suspicions mentioned in paragraphs 3ZZBA(a) and (b); and
(ii) the belief mentioned in paragraph 3ZZBA(c); and
(b) either:
(i) it is an urgent case; or
(ii) the delay that would occur if the authorisation were in writing would frustrate the effective execution of the delayed notification search warrant.
(3) If the chief officer of an eligible agency gives an authorisation under subsection (2), he or she must make a written record of the authorisation within 7 days.
3ZZBC Applying for a delayed notification search warrant
(1) An eligible officer of an eligible agency may apply to an eligible issuing officer for a delayed notification search warrant in respect of particular premises if the officer is authorised under section 3ZZBB to apply for the warrant.
Note 1: The application will need to address:
(a) why there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that one or more eligible offences have been, are being, are about to be or are likely to be committed (see paragraph 3ZZBA(a)); and
(aa) why there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that entry and search of the premises will substantially assist in the prevention or investigation of one or more of those offences (see paragraph 3ZZBA(b)); and
(ab) why there are reasonable grounds for believing that it is necessary for the entry and search of the premises to be conducted without the knowledge of the occupier of the premises or any other person present at the premises (see paragraph 3ZZBA(c)); and
(b) other matters the eligible issuing officer must have regard to (see subsection 3ZZBD(2)); and
(c) matters that must be specified in the warrant (see subsection 3ZZBE(1)).
Note 2: In urgent cases or certain other cases, an application may be made by telephone, fax or other electronic means: see section 3ZZBF.
(2) The eligible officer must provide the eligible issuing officer with:
(a) a copy of, or details of, the authorisation under section 3ZZBB; and
(b) particulars of any applications, and the outcomes, so far as known to the eligible officer, of any previous applications, in respect of the premises, for a warrant under this Part or Division 2 of Part IAA.
(3) The application must be supported by an affidavit setting out the grounds on which the warrant is sought.
(4) The eligible issuing officer may request further information relating to the application, and may require that the information be provided on oath or affirmation.
3ZZBD Issuing a delayed notification search warrant
(1) If:
(a) an eligible officer applies to an eligible issuing officer, in accordance with section 3ZZBC, for a delayed notification search warrant in respect of particular premises (the main premises); and
(b) the eligible issuing officer is satisfied, by information on oath or affirmation, that there are reasonable grounds for the eligible officer to have:
(i) the suspicions mentioned in paragraphs 3ZZBA(a) and (b); and
(ii) the belief mentioned in paragraph 3ZZBA(c);
the eligible issuing officer may issue a delayed notification search warrant in respect of the main premises.
(2) In determining whether the delayed notification search warrant should be issued, the eligible issuing officer must have regard to the following:
(a) the extent to which the exercise of the powers under the warrant would assist the prevention or investigation of the eligible offence or offences to which the application for the warrant relates;
(b) the existence of alternative means of obtaining the evidence or information sought to be obtained;
(c) the extent to which the privacy of any person is likely to be affected;
(d) the nature and seriousness of that offence or those offences;
(e) if it is proposed that adjoining premises be entered for the purpose of entering the main premises—whether allowing entry to the adjoining premises is reasonably necessary:
(i) to enable entry to the main premises; and
(ii) to avoid compromising the prevention or investigation of that offence or those offences;
(f) any conditions to which the warrant should be subject;
(g) the outcome, so far as known to the eligible issuing officer, of any previous application, in respect of the main premises, for a warrant under this Part or Division 2 of Part IAA.
(3) An eligible issuing officer of the Federal Court of Australia or the Administrative Review Tribunal may issue a delayed notification search warrant in relation to premises located anywhere in the Commonwealth or an external Territory.
(4) An eligible issuing officer of the Supreme Court of a State or Territory may issue a delayed notification search warrant only in relation to premises located in that State or Territory.
3ZZBE Contents of a delayed notification search warrant
(1) A delayed notification search warrant must specify the following:
(a) the name of the applicant;
(b) the name of the authorised agency;
(c) the name of the eligible officer of that agency who, unless he or she inserts the name of another such eligible officer in the warrant, is to be responsible for executing the warrant;
(d) the address, location or other description of the warrant premises;
(e) the eligible offence or offences to which the warrant relates;
(f) whether the warrant authorises the entry of adjoining premises, and if it does, the address, location or other description of the adjoining premises;
(g) the day on which, and the time at which, the warrant is issued;
(h) the day on which, and the time at which, the warrant expires (which must be a time on a day that is not more than 30 days after the day on which the warrant is issued);
(i) the time by which notice of entry of premises under the warrant is to be given (expressed as a time on a specified day that is not more than 6 months after the day on which the warrant is issued);
(j) a description of the kinds of things that may be searched for, seized, copied, photographed, recorded, marked, tagged, operated, printed, tested or sampled;
(k) whether the warrant authorises a thing to be placed in substitution for a thing seized under the warrant or moved under subsection 3ZZCE(2);
(l) whether the warrant authorises the re‑entry of the warrant premises, and any adjoining premises authorised to be entered, to:
(i) return to the warrant premises any thing seized under the warrant or moved under subsection 3ZZCE(2); or
(ii) retrieve any thing substituted at the warrant premises for a thing seized under the warrant or moved under subsection 3ZZCE(2);
(m) if the warrant authorises such re‑entry—that the re‑entry must be within:
(i) 14 days of the day of execution of the warrant; or
(ii) if a thing is moved under subsection 3ZZCE(2) and the time for which it may be examined or processed is more than 14 days because of an extension under section 3ZZCE—that time as extended under that section;
(n) any conditions to which the warrant is subject;
(o) that the eligible issuing officer is satisfied as mentioned in paragraph 3ZZBD(1)(b), and has had regard to the matters specified in subsection 3ZZBD(2).
Note 1: Regarding paragraph (i):
(a) the specified time is the time by which a warrant premises occupier’s notice, and any adjoining premises occupier’s notice, must be given (subject to subsections 3ZZDA(4), 3ZZDB(4) and 3ZZDC(3)); and
(b) the specified time can be extended (see subsection 3ZZDC(5)).
Note 2: Regarding the period described in paragraph (m), see also subsection 3ZZCA(3).
(2) The warrant must be signed by the eligible issuing officer who issued it and include his or her name.
Subdivision B—Delayed notification search warrants by telephone, fax etc.
3ZZBF Delayed notification search warrants by telephone, fax etc.
When this section applies
(1) This section applies if the requirements specified in subsection 3ZZBC(1) for when an eligible officer of an eligible agency may apply for a delayed notification search warrant in respect of particular premises are satisfied.
Note: This section sets out an alternative method of applying for and issuing delayed notification search warrants.
Application for delayed notification search warrant
(2) The eligible officer may apply to an eligible issuing officer by telephone, fax or other electronic means for a delayed notification search warrant in respect of the premises:
(a) if it is an urgent case; or
(b) if the delay that would occur if the application were made in person would frustrate the effective execution of the delayed notification search warrant.
(3) The eligible issuing officer:
(a) may require communication by voice to the extent that it is practicable in the circumstances; and
(b) may make a recording of the whole or any part of any such communication by voice.
(4) The application must:
(a) include all information required to be provided in an ordinary application for a delayed notification search warrant, but the application may, if necessary, be made before the information is sworn or affirmed; and
(b) include details of, or be accompanied by a copy of, the authorisation under section 3ZZBB.
Eligible issuing officer may complete and sign warrant
(5) The eligible issuing officer may complete and sign the same delayed notification search warrant that would have been issued under section 3ZZBD if, after:
(a) considering the information and having received and considered such further information (if any) as the eligible issuing officer required; and
(b) having regard to the matters specified in subsection 3ZZBD(2);
the eligible issuing officer is satisfied:
(c) that there are reasonable grounds for the eligible officer to have:
(i) the suspicions mentioned in paragraphs 3ZZBA(a) and (b); and
(ii) the belief mentioned in paragraph 3ZZBA(c); and
(d) that:
(i) a delayed notification search warrant in the terms of the application should be issued urgently; or
(ii) the delay that would occur if an application were made in person would frustrate the effective execution of the delayed notification search warrant.
(6) After completing and signing the delayed notification search warrant, the eligible issuing officer must inform the applicant, by telephone, fax or other electronic means, of:
(a) the terms of the warrant; and
(b) the day on which, and the time at which, the warrant was signed.
Obligations on applicant
(7) The applicant must then do the following:
(a) complete a form of delayed notification search warrant in the same terms as the warrant completed and signed by the eligible issuing officer;
(b) state on the form the following:
(i) the name of the eligible issuing officer;
(ii) the day and time of signing of the warrant;
(c) send the following to the eligible issuing officer:
(i) the form of warrant completed by the applicant;
(ii) the information referred to in subsection (4), which must have been duly sworn or affirmed.
(8) The applicant must comply with paragraph (7)(c) by the end of the day after the earlier of the following:
(a) the day on which the delayed notification search warrant expires;
(b) the day of execution of the warrant.
Eligible issuing officer to attach documents together
(9) The eligible issuing officer must attach the documents provided under paragraph (7)(c) to the delayed notification search warrant signed by the eligible issuing officer.
3ZZBG Authority of delayed notification search warrant by telephone, fax etc.
(1) A form of delayed notification search warrant duly completed under subsection 3ZZBF(7) is authority for the same powers as are authorised by the warrant signed by the eligible issuing officer under subsection 3ZZBF(5).
(2) In any proceedings, a court is to assume (unless the contrary is proved) that an exercise of power was not authorised by a delayed notification search warrant under section 3ZZBF if:
(a) it is material, in those proceedings, for the court to be satisfied that the exercise of power was duly authorised by the warrant; and
(b) the delayed notification search warrant signed by the eligible issuing officer authorising the exercise of the power is not produced in evidence.
Subdivision C—Offences relating to applying for warrants etc.
3ZZBH Offence for making false statement in application for delayed notification search warrant
A person must not make, in an application for a delayed notification search warrant, a statement that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years.
3ZZBI Offence relating to delayed notification search warrant by telephone, fax etc.
A person must not:
(a) state in a document that purports to be a form of delayed notification search warrant under section 3ZZBF the name of an eligible issuing officer unless that eligible issuing officer issued the warrant; or
(b) state on a form of delayed notification search warrant under that section a matter that, to the person’s knowledge, departs in a material particular from the form authorised by the eligible issuing officer; or
(c) purport to execute, or present to a person, a document that purports to be a form of delayed notification search warrant under that section that the person knows:
(i) has not been approved by an eligible issuing officer under that section; or
(ii) departs in a material particular from the terms authorised by an eligible issuing officer under that section; or
(d) give to an eligible issuing officer a form of delayed notification search warrant under that section that is not the form of warrant that the person purported to execute.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years.
Subdivision D—Interaction with other provisions under which search warrants may be issued