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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) has a statutory duty to examine each annual report of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) under the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010 (the Act).

1.2        This is the third time that the committee is examining the annual report of the ACC since the widening of the committee's jurisdiction in 2010. Subsection 7(1) of the Act lists the following functions of the committee in relation to the ACC:

(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;

(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.

Report under consideration

1.3        The ACC's Annual Report 2011–12 (the annual report) was presented to the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Justice, The Hon. Mr Jason Clare MP, on 6 September 2012. It was tabled in the House of Representatives on 11 October 2012 and in the Senate on 30 October 2012.

Examination of the annual report

1.4        In examining the ACC annual report, the committee held a public hearing at Parliament House, Canberra on 14 March 2013. The witnesses who appeared before the committee are listed in Appendix 1.

Structure of the committee report

1.5        The report comprises four chapters:

• Chapter 2 concerns ACC compliance with annual report requirements and trends in relation to serious and organised crime.
• Chapter 3 considers the methods that the ACC employs to measure its performance and provides recommendations on improvements in relation to the ACC's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Chapter 4 details the services, activities and initiatives undertaken by the ACC under its two programs.

Acknowledgements

1.6        The committee acknowledges the cooperation of the ACC Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Lawler AM APM, and ACC officials who assisted the committee in conducting this examination.  

Note on references

1.7        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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