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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Committee's duty to examine reports

1.1        The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement (the committee) has a statutory duty to examine the annual report of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) under the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement Act 2010 (the Act).

1.2        Subsection 7(1) of the Act lists the following functions of the committee in relation to the AFP:

(d) to monitor and 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 of 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.

Report under consideration

1.1        The AFP Annual Report 2011–12 (annual report) was presented to the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Justice, The Hon. Jason Clare MP, on 2 October 2012. It was tabled in the House of Representatives and in the Senate on 29 October 2012.

Examination of the report

1.3        In examining the AFP annual report, the committee held a public hearing at Parliament House, Canberra on 14 March 2012. The witnesses who appeared before the committee are listed in Appendix 1.

Acknowledgements

1.4        The committee acknowledges the cooperation of the AFP Commissioner, Mr Tony Negus APM, and other AFP officers who assisted the committee in conducting its examination.

Note on references

1.5        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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