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Chapter 1

Introduction

The committee's duty to examine reports

1.1        The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement (the committee), formerly the Parliamentary Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission, has had a statutory duty to examine the annual report of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) for a number of years, under the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002.

1.2        The committee continues this responsibility under the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010 (the Act), which broadened the committee's jurisdiction to include oversight of the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

1.3        Subsection 7(1) of the Act lists the following committee functions:

(a) to monitor and to review the performance by the ACC of its functions;

(b) to report to both Houses of the Parliament, with such comments as it thinks fit, upon any matter appertaining to the ACC or connected with the performance of its functions to which, in the opinion of the Committee, the attention of the Parliament should be directed;

(c) to examine each annual report on the ACC and report to the Parliament on any matter appearing in, or arising out of, any such annual report;

(d) to monitor and to review the performance by the AFP of its functions;

(e) to report to both Houses of the Parliament, with such comments as it thinks fit, upon any matter appertaining to the AFP or connected with the performance of its functions to which, in the opinion of the Committee, the attention of the Parliament should be directed;

(f) to examine each annual report on the AFP and report to the Parliament on any matter appearing in, or arising out of, any such annual report;

(g) to examine trends and changes in criminal activities, practices and methods and report to both Houses of the Parliament any change which the Committee thinks desirable to the functions, structure, powers and procedures of the ACC or the AFP;

(h) to inquire into any question in connection with its functions which is referred to it by either House of the Parliament, and to report to that House upon that question.[1]

1.4        Under paragraph 7(1)(c), the committee will therefore continue to review each annual report of the ACC.

Report under consideration

1.5        The ACC's Annual Report 2009–10 (the report) was presented to the Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Brendan O'Connor MP, on 19 November 2010. It was tabled in both the Senate and the House of Representatives on 24 November 2010.

Examination of the report

1.6        In examining the report, the committee held a public hearing at Parliament House, Canberra on 13 June 2011. The witnesses who appeared before the committee are listed in Appendix 1.

Acknowledgments

1.7        The committee acknowledges the cooperation of the ACC Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Lawler APM, and other officers of the ACC. The committee appreciates the ongoing high level of engagement with committee processes demonstrated by the ACC.

Note on references

1.8        References to the committee Hansard are to the proof Hansard: page numbers may vary between the proof and the official Hansard.

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