Inquiry into the Australian Crime Commission Amendment Act 2007

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Inquiry into the Australian Crime Commission Amendment Act 2007

4 September 2008

View the report as a single document - (PDF 728KB)

View the report as separate downloadable parts:


The Committee	(PDF 8KB)

Recommendations	(PDF 14KB)

Acronyms and Abbreviations List	(PDF 7KB)

Chapter 1 - Background to the inquiry into the Australian Crime Commission Amendment Act 2007	(PDF 57KB)
Power to summons witnesses and obtain documen Recording reasons in writing The Australian Crime Commission Amendment Bill 2007 The parliamentary process to amend the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002 Passage in the Senate Passage through the House of Representatives The Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission The 42nd Parliament Conduct of the inquiry Acknowledgments

Chapter 2 - Administrative and procedural issues	(PDF 113KB)
Issuing summonses and notices The legal requirements The rationale The statutory safeguards A written record Reasonable circumstances Effectiveness of the safeguards Failure to comply Effect on safeguards Accountability Disclosure of summonses/notices Reimbursement of expenses The coercive powers – a balancing act

Chapter 3 - Retrospection and contempt	(PDF 144KB)
Extent of the affectation Summonses and notices Derivative information Necessity for parliamentary intervention The retrospective provisions The legislative provisions Rationale 'Technicality' Right to certainty and retrospective criminal sanction International treaty obligations Special coercive powers Lack of cooperation at ACC examinations The Trowell Report Parliamentary consideration in 2000/2001 Impact of non-cooperation on ACC effectiveness An emerging trend Support for a 'contempt power' Parliamentary consideration in 2005 An expedited judicial process

Chapter 4 - Accountability	(PDF 58KB)
Oversight The committee The Commonwealth Ombudsman Unauthorised disclosure - a possible contempt of the Senate Conclusion

Appendix 1 - Terms of Reference	(PDF 8KB)

Appendix 2 - Public submissions	(PDF 7KB)

Appendix 3 - Public hearings and witnesses	(PDF 10KB)
Canberra, Tuesday 17 June 2008 Parliament House, Canberra Canberra, Tuesday 29 July 2008 Parliament House, Canberra

Appendix 4 - Proposed amendments to Part II, Division 2, Subsection 28(1A) and 29(1A)	(PDF 6KB)
ZA Subsection 28(1A) ZB Subsection 29(1A)

Appendix 5	(PDF 25KB)

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone: +61 2 6277 3419

Fax: +61 2 6277 5866

Email: acc.committee@aph.gov.au

Phone:	+61 2 6277 3419
Fax:	+61 2 6277 5866
Email:	acc.committee@aph.gov.au