CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
On 25 June
2009, the Senate referred the Anti-Terrorism Laws Reform Bill 2009 (the Bill) to
the Senate Legislation Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, for
inquiry and report by 28 October 2009.
1.2
The Bill was introduced in the Senate on 23 June 2009 by Senator Scott
Ludlam. The Bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 (CCA), the Crimes
Act 1914 (CA), and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act
1979 (ASIO Act), and to repeal the National Security Information
(Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004.
1.3
The Explanatory Memorandum describes the Bill's purpose as the
restoration of 'core democratic principles into Australian laws dealing with
terrorism offences'.[1]
1.4
The Bill aims to bring about amendments relating to the definition of
terrorism offences, provisions relating to the proscription of 'terrorist
organisations' as well as interaction with them, and offences related to
'reckless possession of a thing' potentially relating to the commission of a
terrorist offence ', and to repealing the offence of sedition.[2]
1.5
The amendments also amend provisions relating to detention of terrorism
suspects including changes to the periods of detention of persons suspected of
terrorism offences and bail conditions for such persons.[3]
1.6
The Bill would also see the ASIO Act amended in relation to the
questioning and detention of terrorism suspects.[4]
Conduct of the inquiry
1.7
The committee
advertised the inquiry in The Australian newspaper on 1 July 2009, and
invited submissions by 31 July 2009. Details of the inquiry, the Bill, and associated documents were placed on the committee's website. The committee also wrote
to over 100 organisations and individuals inviting submissions.
1.8
The committee
received 26 submissions which are listed at Appendix 1. Submissions were placed
on the committee's website for ease of access by the public.
1.9
The committee
held a public hearing in Sydney on 22 September 2009. A list of witnesses who
appeared at the hearings is at Appendix 2 and copies of the Hansard transcript
are available through the Internet at http://aph.gov.au/hansard.
Acknowledgement
1.10
The committee
thanks the organisations and individuals who made submissions and gave evidence
at the public hearing.
Note on references
1.11
References in
this report are to individual submissions as received by the committee, not to
a bound volume. References to the committee Hansard are to the proof Hansard:
page numbers may vary between the proof and the official Hansard transcript.
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