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Terrorism (Emergency Powers) Act 2003
5Terrorist act
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5 Terrorist act
(1) In this Act, terrorist act means an action or threat of an action if:
(a) the action falls within subsection (2) and does not fall within
subsection (3);
(b) the action is done or the threat is made with the intention of
advancing a political, religious or ideological cause; and
(c) the action is done or the threat is made with the intention of:
(i) coercing, or influencing by intimidation, the government
of the Commonwealth or a State, Territory or foreign
country, or of part of a State, Territory or foreign country;
or
Terrorism (Emergency Powers) Act 2003 5
(ii) intimidating the public or a section of the public.
(2) Action falls within this subsection if it:
(a) causes serious harm that is physical harm to a person;
(b) causes serious damage to property;
(c) causes a person's death;
(d) endangers a person's life, other than the life of the person
taking the action;
(e) creates a serious risk to public health or public safety; or
(f) seriously interferes with, seriously disrupts, or destroys, an
electronic system, including but not limited to:
(i) an information system;
(ii) a telecommunications system;
(iii) a financial system;
(iv) a system used for the delivery of essential government
services;
(v) a system used for, or by, an essential public utility; or
(vi) a system used for, or by, a transport system.
(3) Action falls within this subsection if it:
(a) is advocacy, protest, dissent or industrial action; and
(b) it is not intended:
(i) to cause serious harm that is physical harm to a person;
(ii) to cause a person's death;
(iii) to endanger a person's life, other than the life of the
person taking the action; or
(iv) to create a serious risk to public health or public safety.
(4) In this section, a reference to a person or property is a reference to
a person or property wherever situated, within or outside the
Territory (including within or outside Australia).
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