Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

AUSTRALIAN PASSPORTS ACT 2005 - SECT 34

  (1)   A person commits an offence if:

  (a)   the person engages in conduct in relation to an Australian travel document; and

  (b)   the conduct results in:

  (i)   the destruction of the Australian travel document; or

  (ii)   damage to, manipulation of, or tampering or interference with the Australian travel document; or

  (iii)   damage to, manipulation of, or tampering or interference with the Australian travel document's contactless integrated circuit; or

  (iv)   the removal of the Australian travel document's contactless integrated circuit.

Penalty:   Imprisonment for 10 years or 1,000 penalty units, or both.

  (2)   Subsection   (1) does not apply if the person has a reasonable excuse.

Note:   The defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection   (2). See subsection   13.3(3) of the Criminal Code .