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FOREIGN DEATH PENALTY OFFENCES (PREVENTING INFORMATION DISCLOSURE) BILL 2015

 

 

 

2013-2014-2015 

 

The Parliament of the 

Commonwealth of Australia 

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time 

 

 

 

 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences 

(Preventing Information Disclosure) Bill 

2015 

 

No.      , 2015 

 

(Mr Palmer) 

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to prevent the disclosure of 

information by public officials in circumstances 

that may lead to the imposition of the death penalty 

in foreign countries, and for related purposes 

   

   

   

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences (Preventing Information Disclosure) 

Bill 2015 

i 

 

Contents 

Part 1--Preliminary

 

1

 

Short title ........................................................................................... 1

 

Commencement ................................................................................. 2

 

Act binds the Crown .......................................................................... 2

 

Extension to external Territories ........................................................ 2

 

Extraterritorial application ................................................................. 2

 

Definitions ......................................................................................... 2

 

Part 2--Foreign death penalty offences: preventing 

information disclosure by public officials

 

3

 

Foreign death penalty offences--preventing information 

disclosure by public officials ............................................................. 3

 

Extended geographical jurisdiction .................................................... 4

 

Mandatory minimum sentences ......................................................... 4

 

10 

Relationship with other laws .............................................................. 5

 

 

 

 

No.      , 2015 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences (Preventing Information Disclosure) 

Bill 2015 

1 

 

A Bill for an Act to prevent the disclosure of 

information by public officials in circumstances 

that may lead to the imposition of the death penalty 

in foreign countries, and for related purposes 

The Parliament of Australia enacts: 

Part 1--Preliminary 

   

1  Short title 

 

  This Act may be cited as the Foreign Death Penalty Offences 

(Preventing Information Disclosure) Act 2015

10 

   

Part 1  Preliminary 

   

 

Section 2 

 

2 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences (Preventing Information Disclosure) 

Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

2  Commencement 

 

  This Act commences on the day after this Act receives the Royal 

Assent. 

3  Act binds the Crown 

 

(1)  This Act binds the Crown in each of its capacities. 

 

(2)  This Act does not make the Crown liable to be prosecuted for an 

offence. 

4  Extension to external Territories 

 

  This Act extends to every external Territory. 

5  Extraterritorial application 

10 

 

  This Act extends to acts, omissions, matters and things outside 

11 

Australia. 

12 

6  Definitions 

13 

 

  In this Act: 

14 

foreign death penalty offence means an offence against the law of 

15 

a foreign country, or part of a foreign country, in respect of which 

16 

the death penalty may be imposed. 

17 

public official means: 

18 

 

(a)  a Commonwealth public official (within the meaning of the 

19 

Criminal Code); and 

20 

 

(b)  any other public official (within the meaning of the Criminal 

21 

Code). 

22 

   

Foreign death penalty offences: preventing information disclosure by public officials  

Part 2 

   

 

Section 7 

 

No.      , 2015 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences (Preventing Information Disclosure) 

Bill 2015 

3 

 

Part 2--Foreign death penalty offences: preventing 

information disclosure by public officials 

   

7  Foreign death penalty offences--preventing information 

disclosure by public officials 

Offence 

 

(1)  A person (the defendant) commits an offence if: 

 

(a)  the defendant is or was a public official; and 

 

(b)  the defendant directly or indirectly discloses information to 

another person; and 

10 

 

(c)  the information was obtained by the defendant, or came to 

11 

the defendant's knowledge: 

12 

 

(i)  in the course of the performance of his or her duties as a 

13 

public official; or 

14 

 

(ii)  by reason of being a public official; 

15 

 

  whether before or after the commencement of this section; 

16 

and 

17 

 

(d)  the defendant is reckless as to whether the disclosure will do 

18 

any of the following: 

19 

 

(i)  result in a person being tried in a foreign country for a 

20 

foreign death penalty offence; 

21 

 

(ii)  assist in the investigation or prosecution of a person 

22 

who is being tried in a foreign country for such an 

23 

offence; 

24 

 

(iii)  assist in the punishment of a person who has been 

25 

convicted in a foreign country of such an offence. 

26 

Penalty:  Imprisonment for 15 years. 

27 

Exception--Attorney-General certificates 

28 

 

(2)  Subsection (1) does not apply if the Attorney-General certifies, in 

29 

writing, that the disclosure is necessary to prevent, or assist in the 

30 

   

Part 2  Foreign death penalty offences: preventing information disclosure by public 

officials 

   

 

Section 8 

 

4 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences (Preventing Information Disclosure) 

Bill 2015 

No.      , 2015 

 

investigation or prosecution of a person suspected of having 

engaged in: 

 

(a)  a terrorist act (as defined in subsection 100.1(1) of the 

Criminal Code); or 

 

(b)  an act of violence: 

 

(i)  causing a person's death; or 

 

(ii)  endangering a person's life. 

Note: 

A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to a matter in 

subsection (2) (see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code). 

 

(3)  In subsection (2), a reference to a terrorist act or an act of violence 

10 

includes: 

11 

 

(a)  a reference to a terrorist act or act of violence (as the case 

12 

requires) that does not occur; and 

13 

 

(b)  a reference to a specific terrorist act or act of violence (as the 

14 

case requires); and 

15 

 

(c)  a reference to more than one terrorist act or act of violence 

16 

(as the case requires). 

17 

 

(4)  The Attorney-General must cause a copy of a certificate made 

18 

under subsection (2) to be published on the Department's website. 

19 

 

(5)  A certificate made under subsection (2) is not a legislative 

20 

instrument. 

21 

8  Extended geographical jurisdiction 

22 

 

  Section 15.4 (extended geographical jurisdiction--category D) of 

23 

the Criminal Code applies to an offence against section 7. 

24 

9  Mandatory minimum sentences 

25 

 

(1)  A court must not make an order under section 19B of the Crimes 

26 

Act 1914 (discharge of offenders without conviction) in respect of 

27 

a charge for an offence against section 7. 

28 

 

(2)  If a person is convicted of an offence against section 7, the court 

29 

must impose a sentence of imprisonment of at least 1 year. 

30 

   

Foreign death penalty offences: preventing information disclosure by public officials  

Part 2 

   

 

Section 10 

 

No.      , 2015 

Foreign Death Penalty Offences (Preventing Information Disclosure) 

Bill 2015 

5 

 

10  Relationship with other laws 

 

(1)  This Part has effect despite any other law of the Commonwealth, or 

of a State or Territory (whether written or unwritten). 

 

(2)  However, subsection (1) does not apply to a provision of an Act if 

the provision: 

 

(a)  commences after this section commences; and 

 

(b)  specifically states that it applies despite this Part. 

 


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