Key internet links on Criminal Law
This guide contains links to Internet resources and documents in the area of federal criminal law, as well as providing links to other guides and directories which contain material on overseas law. The guide also contains links to resources on law relating to firearms.
Key Publications
For further items, search the Parlinfo database and select Library for journal articles, books and library publications, and Media for newspaper articles and media releases. Although full text searchable, for copyright reasons some material on Parlinfo may be available only to those using the Parliament House computer network.
Encyclopedias, books etc (a good starting point for comprehensive and detailed analysis)
Halsburys laws of Australia (Commercial publication. Not available outside the Parliamentary computer network)
Title 130. Criminal Law
Title 320. Police and Emergency Services
Title 443. Weapons and Dangerous Goods
The Laws of Australia (Thomson). Title 9. Criminal Law Principles; Title 10. Criminal Offences; Title 11. Criminal Procedure; Title 12. Criminal Sentencing
Thomson commentaries. Federal Offences ; Criminal Law New South Wales ; Ross on Crime. Commercial publications. Not available outside the Parliamentary computer network
Back to top
Government and Parliamentary Reports
Australian Crime: Facts & Figures (Australian Institute of Criminology annual publication)
2008 Coercive Information gathering Powers of Government Agencies (Administrative Review Council)
2008 Final Report on Identity Crime [Identity theft] (Model Criminal Law Officers’ Committee)
2007 A Guide to Framing Commonwealth Offences, Civil Penalties and Enforcement Powers (Minister for Home Affairs)
2007 Client Legal Privilege and Federal Investigatory Bodies (Australian Law Reform Commission)
Papers issued during the inquiry
2007 Drink and Food Spiking: Final Report (Model Criminal Law Officers’ Committee)
2006 Credit Card Skimming Offences ( Model Criminal Code Officers' Committee of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General)
2006 Fighting Words: A Review of Sedition Laws in Australia (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 104)
2006 Same Crime, Same Time: Sentencing of Federal Offenders (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 103)
2006 Review of Australia's arrangements for mutual assistance and extradition in criminal matters (Attorney-General's Dept)
2004 Keeping secrets: the protection of classified and security sensitive information (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 98)
2004 Issue Estoppel, Double Jeopardy and Prosecution Appeals Against Acquittals (Model Criminal Code Officers Committee of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General)
2004 Crime in the Community: victims, offenders and fear of crime (Australia. Parliament. House of Representatives. Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs)
2003 Double jeopardy (R. Johns, NSW Parliamentary Library Briefing Paper 16/2003)
2003 Report on Civil and Administrative Penalties (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 95)
2003 Report of Independent Review of Part 1D of the Crimes Act 1914 - Forensic Procedures (Sherman report)
2003 Cross-border investigative powers for law enforcement (Standing Committee of Attorneys-General and Australasian Police Ministers Council Joint Working Group on National Investigation Powers, 378 pages)
2002 Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines (Attorney-General's Dept)
2002 The Commonwealth Criminal Code: a guide for practitioners (Attorney-General's Dept. Note: this is 378 pages long)
2002 Application of absolute and strict liability offences in Commonwealth legislation (Australia. Parliament. Senate. Scrutiny of Bills Committee)
2000 Entry and search provisions in Commonwealth legislation (Australia. Parliament. Senate. Scrutiny of Bills Committee)
2001 Extradition, a review of Australia's law and policy (Australia. Parliament. Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. Report 40)
2001 Reforming the old and refining the new: a critical overview of Australian approaches to cannabis (M. Rickard, Commonwealth Parliamentary Library)
2000 Advisory Report on the Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Bill 1999 (Australia. Parliament. House of Representatives. Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs)
2000 Model Forensic Procedures Bill (Federal DNA database): Final Draft
2000 Coercive questioning after charge (S. Donaghue)
An analysis of the ability of Royal Commissions and standing commissions to use their coercive powers to investigate crime when the investigation may interfere with pending criminal proceedings
2000 DNA testing and criminal justice (Summary of NSW Parliamentary Library briefing paper)
1999 Standing Committee of Attorneys-General. Working Group on Criminal Trial Procedure. Report
1999 The future of criminal law: some big issues (Hon Justice M. Kirby)
1999 Confiscation that counts: a review of the Proceeds of Crimes Act 1987: report no. 87 (Australian Law Reform Commission)
1999 Model Domestic Violence Laws (Attorney-General's Dept.)
1998 Appropriate basis for penalty provisions in legislation comparable to the Productivity Commission Bill 1996 (Australia. Parliament. Senate. Scrutiny of Bills Committee)
1997 Law Enforcement in Australia: an International Perspective (Australia. Parliament. Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority)
1997 Illicit drugs, their use and the law in Australia (Commonwealth Parliamentary Library)
1997 Trial by jury (G. Fricke)
1996 Integrity: but not by trust alone: AFP and NCA complaints and disciplinary systems (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 82)
1996 After Port Arthur: issues of gun control in Australia (Commonwealth Parliamentary Library)
1995 Organised criminal paedophile activity (Australia. Parliament. Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority)
1994 Unauthorised disclosure of government information (Australian Government Solicitor)
1994 Legislative options for cannabis use in Australia (Commonwealth Dept of Health)
1993 Rationalising Commonwealth criminal offences (Australian Government Solicitor)
1992 + Model Criminal Code
Various publications from the Model Criminal Code Officers Committee of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General
1990 The Prosecution Policy of the Commonwealth (Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions)
A key policy document which sets out the relevant guidelines for determining whether it is appropriate to institute a prosecution or to continue that prosecution
1990 Criminal admiralty jurisdiction and prize (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 48)
1988 Sentencing (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 44)
1988 Commonwealth Prisoners Act: interim report (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 43)
1987 Spent convictions (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 37)
1986 Domestic violence (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 30)
1980 Sentencing of federal offenders: interim report (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 15)
1976 Alcohol, drugs and driving (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 4)
1976 Criminal investigation (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 2)
1975-78 Complaints against police (1975) and supplementary report 1978 (Australian Law Reform Commission report no. 1 and 9)
Back to top
Firearms
Federal Legislation
National Firearms Program Implementation Act 1996
National Firearms Program Implementation Act 1997
National Firearms Program Implementation Bill 1997: Bills Digest
National Firearms Program Implementation Act 1998
National Firearms Program Implementation Bill 1998
Text of Bill, Explanatory Memorandum, Bills Digest, Second Reading Speeches
Crimes Legislation Amendment (People Smuggling, Firearms Trafficking and other Measures) Act 2002
Bills Digest
Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 2000 (No. 7) [Statutory Rule 2000 No. 234]
Introduces stronger import controls on handguns
Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 2001 (No. 1) [Statutory Rule 2001 No. 60]
Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 2002 (No. 4) [Statutory Rule 2002 No. 331]
The purpose of the Regulations is to prohibit the importation of certain handguns and handgun parts by certified sports shooters and certified international sports shooters and to put related conditions on the importation of handguns by dealers
National Handgun Buyback Act 2003 --- Explanatory Memorandum --- Bills Digest --- Press Release
Provides funding to the States and Territories for the handgun buyback scheme July 2003-2004
National Handgun Buyback Regulations 2003
Major National Sites
Attorney-General's Department, Firearms Section
Australian Crime Commission
The ACC has established a Special Investigation Team into Illegal Firearms (May 2003)
The Australian Firearms Buyback official site
As archived by the National Library of Australia
Australian Institute of Criminology. National Firearms Monitoring Program
Gun Control Australia
National Firearms Identification Database (NFID)
- being developed by CrimTrac
Shooters and Fishers Party (NSW)
Sporting Shooters Association of Australia
Publications
Halsburys laws of Australia. Title 443. Weapons and Dangerous Goods
Commercial publication. Not available outside Parliament
2004 Firearms restrictions: recent developments (New South Wales Parliamentary Library)
2002 Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agrees on a national approach to restrict the availability and use of handguns, particularly concealable weapons (communiqué, transcript of press conference, 6 December 2002)
2002 State and federal police ministers agree to comprehensive handgun reforms (Minister for Justice Press release, 28 November 2002)
2002 Police ministers approve firearms reference to the National Crime Authority to investigate handgun trafficking (Minister for Justice Press release, 5 November 2002)
2002 In response to the Monash University shootings of 21 October 2002 the Prime Minister outlines 13 proposals for controls on handguns (Press release, 24 October 2002)
2002 Tough new penalties for gun trafficking across State borders proposed by federal government ( Minister for Justice and Customs media release, 16 September 2002)
2002 National Firearms Trafficking Policy Agreement (Minister for Justice and Customs media release, 17 April 2002)
2002 Gun co-operation will produce safer communities (Minister for Justice and Customs media release, 4 April 2002)
2000 Carriage of firearms at Sydney 2000 [Olympic] Games (Attorney-General news release, 20 July 2000)
1997 The Gun buy-back scheme: Attorney-General's Department (National Audit Office performance audit)
1996 Guidelines on compensation for surrendered firearms (Attorney-General news release, 29 July 1996)
1996 After Port Arthur: issues of gun control in Australia (Commonwealth Parliamentary Library)
1996 Australasian Police Ministers' Council. Special Firearms Meeting, Canberra, 10 May 1996. Resolutions
Links to Overseas Firearms Sites
Firearms Research Digest
A bibliographic database of firearms-related research, currently covering six years, from 2002 to 2009, compiled by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center
International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)
A pro control lobby group
World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA)