Terms of Reference

Pursuant to subsection 7(1) of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010, the committee will inquire into and report on trends and changes in criminal activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and law enforcement responses, with particular reference to

a) the nature and operations of transnational, serious and organised crime, including the impact of border controls and other policy responses to the pandemic that have impacted supply chains and the movement of goods and people, and tactics adopted by criminal organisations to adjust to or exploit changes in their operating environment during the pandemic;
b) how the pandemic has affected the prevalence of certain types of crime, particularly crime types associated with transnational, serious and organised crime;
c) trends and changes in relation to other crime types of specific interest to Commonwealth law enforcement agencies, including but not limited to fraud and cyber-crime;
d) the nature and effectiveness of responses by law enforcement to trends and changes in criminal activity related to the pandemic, including any changes in the practices, methods and procedures of law enforcement;
e) the impact of the pandemic and related social distancing measures on the capacity and operational abilities of law enforcement, and the extent of law enforcement preparedness in relation to the current pandemic and similar future events;
f) the extent to which trends and changes in criminal activity during the pandemic, and related changes to law enforcement methods, practices and procedures, might endure beyond the pandemic;
g) changes that might be desirable, in light of any current and possibly longer-lasting trends and changes in criminal activity related to the pandemic, and in view of the preparedness of Commonwealth law enforcement in undertaking its work during the pandemic, to the functions, structure, powers and procedures of the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission; and
h) any related matters.

Committee Secretariat contact:

Committee Secretary
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3419
le.committee@aph.gov.au