On 6 March 2014, the Senate referred the following matter to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee for inquiry and report:

The current investigative processes and powers of the Australian Federal Police in relation to non-criminal matters, with particular reference to:

1. thresholds, including evidentiary thresholds, relating to the obtaining of production orders and search warrants, and in particular whether these reflect the rules applicable to civil litigation discovery rather than coercive search;
2. procedures preparatory to seeking production orders and search warrants, including taking into account the conduct of the recipient of such orders;
3. procedures for executing search warrants;
4. safeguards relating to the curtailment of freedom of speech, particularly in relation to literary proceeds matters;
5. safeguards for ensuring the protection of confidential information, including journalists’ sources, obtained under search warrants, and particularly where that information does not relate to the search warrant;
6. the powers available to the Australian Federal Police to intercept telecommunications in circumstances where the matter being investigated does not involve criminal conduct;
7. the priorities of the Serious and Organised Crime Division, and the circumstances under which they should appropriately be deployed in relation to non-criminal matters; and
8. any related matters.