1.1
The Australian Crime Commission Amendment (Criminology Research) Bill
2016 seeks to merge the functions of the Australian Institute of Criminology
(AIC) into the Australian Crime Commission (ACC).
1.2
This bill was first introduced in 2015 and lapsed on prorogation of the
parliament in May 2016. The 2016 bill has had changes made to the Explanatory
Memorandum.
1.3
The government has stated that it sees great opportunity in combining
the resources of the AIC and ACC to provide Australian law enforcement agencies
with central access to a consolidated and comprehensive criminal research and
intelligence resource.
1.4
As per the previous inquiry into this bill, the majority of submitters
raised significant concerns about the proposed merger. Professor Adam Graycar
AM, former Director of the AIC stated that 'people are less likely to take the
output seriously and give it credibility. Without credibility research is
hollow'.[1]
1.5
Concerns were expressed to the committee that merging the research
function of the AIC with the law enforcement function of the ACC would
compromise the perception of the independence of the AIC.
1.6
Professor Duncan Chappell submitted that the 'fundamental aims and ethos
of both agencies are radically different',[2]
and Professor Peter Norden AO, a fellow of the Australian and New Zealand
Society of Criminology (ANZSOC) submitted that, 'the suggestion that an
academic research body such as the AIC being able to successfully merger with
an intelligence agency...shows a complete lack of understanding of the role of
the two bodies'.[3]
Conclusion
1.7
Should this bill pass there is a significant risk that broad ranging
criminological research that focusses on understanding the causes of crime, and
recommending crime prevention strategies, will take second place to the law
enforcement needs of the ACC.
1.8
The government's stated aim of providing Australian law enforcement
agencies with central access to criminological research could have been
achieved by administrative changes which would not require merging the AIC into
the ACC.
Recommendation 1
1.9
The Australian Greens recommend that the bill be rejected by the Senate.
Senator Nick
McKim
Australian
Greens
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