The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security will hold a public hearing for its review into the operation, effectiveness and implications of Division 3 of Part III of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 23 May 2024

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) will hold a public hearing for its review into the operation, effectiveness and implications of Division 3 of Part III of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 on Thursday, 23 May 2024. The laws under review allow the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to seek a warrant to compel an individual to attend questioning. These powers were originally introduced in 2003 as part of Australia’s counter-terrorism response and were significantly amended in 2020 following a review by the PJCIS. Further amendments have been proposed by ASIO ahead of the hearing, including repealing questioning warrants for minors and making adult questioning warrants available for a wider range of purposes. The Committee has invited government and non-government representatives to its hearing to discuss the operation, effectiveness and implications of the powers. Committee Chair, Mr Peter Khalil MP, said ‘The Committee has received mixed evidence regarding ASIO’s compulsory questioning powers. We look forward to hearing from a range of Government and non-Government witnesses to inform our review and report to Parliament.’ Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website. The Committee’s website has a full program for the hearing, and the hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Public hearing Thursday, 23 May 2024 9:15 am – 3:00 pm AEST Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra, and via videoconference Media inquiries Chair Mr Peter Khalil MP, via Lachlan Hinds 0455 999 677 lachlan.t.hinds@aph.gov.au For background information Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on intelligence and Security (02) 6277 2360 pjcis@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced an inquiry into the operation, effectiveness and implications of Division 3 of Part III of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (the ASIO Act) which relates to compulsory questioning powers.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 7 September 2023

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced an inquiry into the operation, effectiveness and implications of Division 3 of Part III of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (the ASIO Act) which relates to compulsory questioning powers. Division 3 of Part III of the ASIO Act provides for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to request that the Attorney-General issue a warrant to require a person to appear before a prescribed authority to give information, or produce a record or other thing, that is, or may be, relevant to intelligence that is important in relation to a questioning matter. Mr Peter Khalil MP, Chair of the PJCIS said “This review will provide a valuable opportunity to consider the effectiveness of questioning warrants in relation to espionage, politically motivated violence and foreign interference, and the continued appropriateness of the current compulsory questioning laws.” The Committee requests submissions to the inquiry by Thursday 1 February 2024. Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website. Media inquiries: Chair Mr Peter Khalil MP, via Lachlan Hinds 0455 999 677 lachlan.t.hinds@aph.gov.au For background information:  Committee Secretariat, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (02) 6277 2360 pjcis@aph.gov.au. For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track this Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.