3ZZDA Warrant premises occupier’s notice must be prepared and given
(1) As soon as practicable after the exercise of powers under a delayed notification search warrant has been completed, the executing officer must prepare a written notice (the warrant premises occupier’s notice) that complies with subsection (2).
(2) The warrant premises occupier’s notice must:
(a) specify the name of the authorised agency; and
(b) specify the day on which, and the time at which, the warrant was issued; and
(c) specify the day of execution of the warrant; and
(d) specify the address, location or other description of the warrant premises; and
(e) specify the number of persons who entered the warrant premises for the purposes of executing, or assisting in the execution of, the warrant; and
(f) include a summary of:
(i) the purpose of delayed notification search warrants (including a statement to the effect that they are to authorise entry and search of premises to be conducted without the knowledge of the occupier of the premises or any other person present at the premises); and
(ii) the things done under the warrant; and
(g) describe any thing seized from the warrant premises and state whether a thing was placed in substitution for the seized thing; and
(h) state whether any thing was returned to, or retrieved from, the warrant premises and the date on which this occurred.
(3) Subject to subsection (4), a staff member of the authorised agency must give the warrant premises occupier’s notice, and a copy of the warrant (or the form of warrant completed under subsection 3ZZBF(7)), to the person (the occupier) who was the occupier of the warrant premises when they were entered under the warrant. The notice, and the copy of the warrant (or form of warrant), must be given to the occupier by the time applicable under section 3ZZDC.
(4) If the occupier cannot be identified or located, a staff member of the authorised agency must report back to an eligible issuing officer, and the eligible issuing officer may give such directions as the eligible issuing officer thinks fit.
(5) A notice and a direction under this section are not legislative instruments.
3ZZDB Adjoining premises occupier’s notice must be prepared and given
(1) As soon as practicable after adjoining premises are entered under a delayed notification search warrant, the executing officer must prepare a written notice (the adjoining premises occupier’s notice) that complies with subsection (2).
(2) The adjoining premises occupier’s notice must specify:
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(b) the day on which, and the time at which, the warrant was issued; and
(c) the day of execution of the warrant; and
(d) the address, location or other description of:
(i) the warrant premises; and
(ii) the adjoining premises; and
(e) the purpose of delayed notification search warrants, including:
(i) a statement to the effect that they are to authorise entry and search of warrant premises to be conducted without the knowledge of the occupier of those premises or any other person present at those premises; and
(ii) a statement that adjoining premises may be entered solely for the purpose of entering or leaving the warrant premises.
(3) Subject to subsection (4), a staff member of the authorised agency must give the adjoining premises occupier’s notice, and a copy of the warrant (or the form of warrant completed under subsection 3ZZBF(7)), to the person (the occupier) who was the occupier of the adjoining premises when they were entered under the warrant. The notice, and the copy of the warrant, must be given to the occupier by the time applicable under section 3ZZDC.
(4) If the occupier cannot be identified or located, a staff member of the authorised agency must report back to an eligible issuing officer, and the eligible issuing officer may give such directions as the eligible issuing officer thinks fit.
(5) A notice and a direction under this section are not legislative instruments.
3ZZDC Time for giving warrant premises occupier’s notice or adjoining premises occupier’s notice
Section determines time by which notice must be given
(1) This section:
(a) applies if a warrant premises occupier’s notice, or an adjoining premises occupier’s notice, is prepared in relation to a delayed notification search warrant; and
(b) determines the time by which the notice (and a copy of the warrant, or the form of warrant) must be given in accordance with subsection 3ZZDA(3) or 3ZZDB(3).
Note: This section has effect subject to any directions given under subsection 3ZZDA(4) or 3ZZDB(4).
General rule
(2) Subject to subsection (3), the notice (and the copy of the warrant or form of warrant) must be given by:
(a) the time specified under paragraph 3ZZBE(1)(i); or
(b) if that time has been extended under subsection (5), that time as so extended.
Rule if person is charged with an offence relying on evidence obtained under the warrant
(3) If:
(a) a person is charged with an offence; and
(b) the prosecution proposes to rely on evidence obtained under the warrant;
the notice (and the copy of the warrant or of the form of the warrant completed under subsection 3ZZBF(7)) must be given as soon as practicable after the person is charged with the offence, but no later than the earlier of the following times:
(c) the time applicable under subsection (2);
(d) the time of service of the brief of evidence by the prosecution.
Extending the time specified in the warrant for giving notice
(4) The chief officer of the authorised agency may, in writing, authorise an eligible officer of the agency to apply to an eligible issuing officer for an extension of the time specified under paragraph 3ZZBE(1)(i) by which notice of entry of premises under a delayed notification search warrant is to be given.
(5) An eligible issuing officer may, on application by an eligible officer authorised under subsection (4), extend the time specified under paragraph 3ZZBE(1)(i) by which notice of entry of premises under a delayed notification search warrant is to be given if the eligible issuing officer is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for continuing to delay notice of entry of the premises.
(6) An eligible issuing officer may, under subsection (5), extend the time specified under paragraph 3ZZBE(1)(i) on more than one occasion, but:
(a) must not extend the time by more than 6 months on any one occasion; and
(b) must not extend the time to more than 12 months after the day on which the delayed notification search warrant was issued unless:
(i) the Minister is satisfied on reasonable grounds that there are exceptional circumstances justifying the extension, and that it is in the public interest to do so; and
(ii) the Minister has issued a certificate approving the application for the extension; and
(iii) the eligible issuing officer is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances justifying such an extension.
(7) A certificate issued under subsection (6) is not a legislative instrument.
Division 5—Using, sharing and returning things seized
Subdivision A—Using and sharing things seized
3ZZEA Purposes for which things may be used and shared
Use and sharing of thing by eligible officer or Commonwealth officer
(1) An eligible officer of an eligible agency or a Commonwealth officer may use, or make available to another eligible officer or Commonwealth officer to use, a thing seized under this Part for the purpose of any or all of the following if it is necessary to do so for that purpose:
(a) preventing, investigating or prosecuting an offence;
(b) proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1987 or the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002;
(c) proceedings for the forfeiture of the thing under a law of the Commonwealth;
(d) the performance of a function or duty, or the exercise of a power, by a person, court or other body under, or in relation to a matter arising under, Division 104, 105, 105A or 395 of the Criminal Code;
(e) investigating or resolving a complaint or an allegation of misconduct relating to an exercise of a power or the performance of a function or duty under this Part;
(f) investigating or resolving an AFP conduct or practices issue (within the meaning of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979) under Part V of that Act;
(g) investigating or resolving a complaint under the Ombudsman Act 1976 or the Privacy Act 1988;
(h) conducting a NACC Act process (within the meaning of the National Anti‑Corruption Commission Act 2022);
(i) proceedings in relation to a complaint, allegation or issue mentioned in paragraph (e), (f), (g) or (h);
(j) deciding whether to institute proceedings, to make an application or request, or to take any other action, mentioned in any of the preceding paragraphs of this subsection;
(k) the performance of the functions of the Australian Federal Police under section 8 of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979.
(2) An eligible officer of an eligible agency or a Commonwealth officer may use a thing seized under this Part for any other use that is required or authorised by or under a law of a State or a Territory.
(3) An eligible officer of an eligible agency may make available to another eligible officer of an eligible agency or a Commonwealth officer to use a thing seized under this Part for any purpose for which the making available of the thing or document is required or authorised by a law of a State or Territory.
(4) To avoid doubt, this section does not limit any other law of the Commonwealth that:
(a) requires or authorises the use of a thing; or
(b) requires or authorises the making available (however described) of a thing.
Sharing thing for use by State, Territory or foreign agency
(5) An eligible officer of an eligible agency or a Commonwealth officer may make a thing seized under this Part available to:
(a) a State or Territory law enforcement agency; or
(b) an agency that has responsibility for:
(i) law enforcement in a foreign country; or
(ii) intelligence gathering for a foreign country; or
(iii) the security of a foreign country;
to be used by that agency for a purpose mentioned in subsection (1), (2) or (3) and the purpose of any or all of the following (but not for any other purpose):
(c) preventing, investigating or prosecuting an offence against a law of a State or Territory;
(d) proceedings under a corresponding law (within the meaning of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1987 or the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002);
(e) proceedings for the forfeiture of the thing under a law of a State or Territory;
(f) deciding whether to institute proceedings or to take any other action mentioned in any of paragraphs (1)(a) to (k) (inclusive), subsection (2) or (3) or paragraph (c), (d) or (e) of this subsection.
Ministerial arrangements for sharing
(6) This Division does not prevent the Minister from making an arrangement with a Minister of a State or Territory for:
(a) the making available to a State or Territory law enforcement agency of that State or Territory, for purposes mentioned in subsections (1), (3) and (5), of things seized under this Part; and
(b) the disposal by the agency of such things when they are no longer of use to that agency for those purposes.
Note: This subsection does not empower the Minister to make such an arrangement.
Subdivision B—Returning things seized
3ZZEB When things seized must be returned
(1) If the chief officer of the relevant eligible agency is satisfied that a thing seized under this Part is not required (or is no longer required) for a purpose mentioned in section 3ZZEA or for other judicial or administrative review proceedings, the chief officer must take reasonable steps to return the thing to the person from whom it was seized, or to the owner if that person is not entitled to possess it.
(2) However, the chief officer does not have to take those steps if:
(a) either:
(i) the thing may be retained because of an order under subsection 3ZZEC(1), or any other order under that subsection has been made in relation to the thing; or
(ii) the chief officer has applied for such an order and the application has not been determined; or
(b) the thing may otherwise be retained, destroyed or disposed of under a law, or an order of a court or tribunal, of the Commonwealth or of a State or a Territory; or
(c) the thing is forfeited or forfeitable to the Commonwealth or is the subject of a dispute as to ownership; or
(d) a warrant premises occupier’s notice has not been given in relation to the occupier of the warrant premises.
3ZZEC Eligible issuing officer may permit a thing seized to be retained, forfeited etc.
(1) An eligible issuing officer may, on application by an eligible officer of an eligible agency, make any of the orders referred to in subsection (2) in relation to a thing seized under this Part if the eligible issuing officer is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that, if the thing is returned to the owner of the thing, or the person from whom the thing was seized, it is likely to be used by that person or another person in the commission of:
(a) a terrorist act or a terrorism offence; or
(b) a serious offence (within the meaning of Part IAA).
(2) The orders are as follows:
(a) an order that the thing may be retained for the period specified in the order;
(b) an order that the thing is forfeited to the Commonwealth;
(c) an order that:
(i) the thing be sold and the proceeds given to the owner of the thing; or
(ii) the thing be sold in some other way;
(d) an order that the thing is to be destroyed or otherwise disposed of.
(3) If the eligible issuing officer is not satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1), the eligible issuing officer must order that the thing be returned to:
(a) the person from whom the thing was seized; or
(b) if that person is not entitled to possess the thing—the owner of the thing.
Division 6—Reporting and record‑keeping
3ZZFA Reporting on delayed notification search warrants
(1) The executing officer in relation to a delayed notification search warrant, or the applicant for the warrant, must give a written report on the warrant to the chief officer of the authorised agency.
(2) The report must be given to the chief officer of the authorised agency as soon as practicable after:
(a) the day of execution of the warrant; or
(b) if the warrant was not executed—the expiry of the warrant.
(3) The report must:
(a) specify the address, location or other description of the warrant premises; and
(b) state whether or not the warrant was executed; and
(c) state whether the application for the warrant was made in person or in accordance with section 3ZZBF.
(4) If the warrant was executed, the report must also include the following information:
(a) the day of execution of the warrant;
(b) the name of the executing officer;
(c) the name of any persons assisting and the kind of assistance provided;
(d) the name of the occupier of the warrant premises, if known to the executing officer;
(e) whether adjoining premises were entered under the warrant and, if they were, the name of the occupier of the adjoining premises, if known to the executing officer;
(f) the things that were done under the warrant;
(g) without limiting paragraph (f)—details of any thing at the warrant premises:
(i) seized; or
(ii) replaced with a substitute; or
(iii) copied, photographed or otherwise recorded; or
(iv) marked or tagged; or
(v) operated, printed, tested or sampled;
(h) whether or not the execution of the warrant assisted in the prevention or investigation of an eligible offence;
(i) details of compliance with any conditions to which the warrant was subject;
(j) details of any warrant premises occupier’s notice given in relation to the warrant;
(k) details of any adjoining premises occupier’s notice given in relation to the warrant;
(l) details of any directions given under subsection 3ZZDA(4) or 3ZZDB(4) in relation to the warrant.
(5) To avoid doubt, if, at the time a report was given, the details in any of paragraphs (4)(j), (k) and (l) were not included because notice or directions had not been given at that time, but are given later, the person who gave the original report under subsection (1) must give a further report under that subsection including those details.
(6) If the warrant was not executed, the report must state the reason why it was not executed.
(7) If the warrant premises were entered after the warrant was executed for the purpose of returning a thing to, or retrieving a thing left at, the premises, a written report in relation to that entry must be provided to the chief officer of the authorised agency. The report must include the following information:
(a) the address, location or other description of the warrant premises;
(b) the date on which the warrant premises were entered for that purpose;
(c) the name of each person who so entered the warrant premises;
(d) details of the thing returned or retrieved;
(e) if the thing was not returned or retrieved—the reason why the thing was not returned or removed.
(8) A report under subsection (7) must be given as soon as practicable after the warrant premises were entered as mentioned in that subsection.
(9) A report under this section is not a legislative instrument.
3ZZFB Annual reports to Minister
(1) The chief officer of an eligible agency must give a written report to the Minister that includes the following information in respect of each financial year:
(a) the number of applications for delayed notification search warrants made in person by eligible officers of the agency;
(b) the number of applications for delayed notification search warrants made under section 3ZZBF by eligible officers of the agency;