Inquiry information
On Wednesday 23 November 2011, the Hon Brendan O’Connor MP,
Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, introduced the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill
2011 (the Bill) into the House of Representatives.
On Thursday 24 November 2011, the Selection Committee
referred the Bill to the House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal
Affairs for inquiry.
The Committee received 10 submissions on the Bill. A list of
the submissions is at Appendix A. Copies of the submissions have been placed on
the Committee’s website.
A public hearing was held in Canberra on Friday 10 February
2012. A list of witnesses who appeared before the Committee at the hearing is
at Appendix B.
List of recommendations
Schedule 1
Recommendation 1
The Committee recommends that Schedule 1 of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 be passed by the house of
Representatives.
Schedule 2
Recommendation 2
The Committee recommends the amendment of Item 27 in Schedule
2 of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 to
insert, in section 59 AB of the Australian Crime Commission Act 2002, similar
protections and wording as that contained in section 25A(9) of the Australian
Crime Commission Act (Cth) 2002.
Schedule 3
Recommendation 3
The Committee recommends that Schedule 3 of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 be passed by the House of
Representatives.
Schedule 4
Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that Schedule 4 of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 be passed by the House of
Representatives.
Schedule 5
Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that Schedule 5 of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 be passed by the House of
Representatives.
Schedule 6
Recommendation 6
The Committee recommends that Schedule 6 of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 be passed by the House of
Representatives.
Schedule 7
Recommendation 7
The Committee recommends the amendment of Item 12 in Schedule
7 of the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011 to remove
the retrospective application by deleting the word before in section
2(a).
This would ensure that amendments made in this Schedule to
abolish automatic parole would only apply to persons sentenced after
commencement.
Recommendation 8
The Committee recommends that the Australian Government give
further consideration to establishing a Federal parole board.
Schedule 8
Recommendation 9
The Committee recommends that the Minister for Justice provide
an explanation to the House of Representatives regarding the need for the
retrospective application of amendments proposed in Schedule 8 of the Crimes
Legislation Amendment (Powers and Offences) Bill 2011.