The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review of the Strengthening Oversight of the National Intelligence Community Bill 2025 (‘the Bill’).
The Bill aims to establish a holistic and consistent oversight framework for the National Intelligence Community, including by:
- expanding the oversight roles of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) and the PJCIS to cover all ten agencies in the National Intelligence Community.
- strengthening the relationship between the PJCIS, the IGIS and the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM)
- providing the PJCIS with powers to conduct own-motion reviews of proposed or expiring counter-terrorism and national security legislation, and to request the IGIS to conduct an inquiry
- enabling the INSLM to initiate reviews into the full suite of contemporary counterterrorism or national security legislation at the Commonwealth level.
The Bill also includes measures to:
- provide immunity from civil and criminal liability to defence officials and other persons for certain computer related conduct connected to an effect outside Australia
- clarify the treatment of criminal intelligence assessments at the Administrative Review Tribunal
- implement technical amendments to the Intelligence Services Act 2001 and other legislation, including in relation to the PJCIS’s operating provisions.
The Committee invites written submissions to the inquiry by 25 September 2025. Further information about making a submission to a parliamentary committee is available here.
Many of the Bill’s provisions are similar, or identical, to the provisions of the Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (ISLAB), which lapsed at the end of the 47th Parliament while under review by the Committee. The Committee intends to consider the submissions and oral evidence that were previously provided to the ISLAB review as part of the current review.
To avoid duplication of effort, individuals and organisations who previously made a submission to the ISLAB review are requested to limit their submissions to comments on the new and amended items of the Bill.