Inquiry into Entry, Search and Seizure Provisions in Commonwealth Legislation
On 25 March 2004 the Senate referred the following inquiry to the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills, for inquiry and report by the first sitting day in March 2005. The Committee is to inquire into the Governments response to its previous report on entry and search provisions tabled in 2000, entry and search provisions made since that report was tabled, including provisions that authorise the power to stop and search people, and provisions that authorise the seizure of material. The full terms of reference are:
Terms of Reference
(1) The Government's responses to the Committee's Fourth Report of 2000: Entry and Search Provisions in Commonwealth Legislation and, in particular, whether there has been any resultant impact on the practices and drafting of entry and search provisions.
(2) A review of the fairness, purpose, effectiveness and consistency of entry and search provisions in Commonwealth legislation made since the Committee tabled its Fourth Report of 2000 on 6 April 2000.
(3) A review of the provisions in Commonwealth legislation that authorise the seizure of material and, in particular:
(a) the extent and circumstances surrounding the taking of material that is not relevant to an investigation and the use and protection of such material; and
(b) whether the rights and liberties of individuals would be better protected by the development of protocols governing the seizure of material.
The Committee invites written submissions from interested individuals and organisations to be lodged by 30 June 2004. The Committee encourages the lodgement of submissions in electronic form to scrutiny.sen@aph.gov.au Please ensure that a postal address and phone number is enclosed with all email submissions.
Alternatively, submissions may be sent to:
The Secretary
Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills
Suite SG 49, Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
or faxed to (02) 6277-5881.
Submissions become Committee documents and are made public only after a decision by the Committee. Persons making submissions must not release them without the approval of the Committee. Unauthorised release of submissions is not covered by parliamentary privilege.
Submissions