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INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER OF PRISONERS ACT 1997 - SECT 4

Definitions

  (1)   In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears:

"ACT" means the Australian Capital Territory.

"ACT Minister" means the Minister for the ACT administering the law of the ACT relating to the transfer of prisoners and includes any Minister acting for the time being for or on behalf of that Minister.

"appropriate Ministerial consent" means Ministerial consent given as required by section   5.

"Attorney-General" means the Attorney - General of the Commonwealth.

"Australian court" means a court or tribunal of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory.

"Australian law" means a law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory.

"child" : without limiting who is a child of a person for the purposes of this Act, someone is the child of a person if he or she is a child of the person within the meaning of the Family Law Act 1975 .

"close family member" : see section   4AA.

"community ties" has the meaning given by subsections   (4) and (5).

"continued enforcement method" , in relation to enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment, has the meaning given by section   42.

"converted enforcement method" , in relation to enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment, has the meaning given by section   42.

"de facto partner" has the meaning given by the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 .

"escort officer" , in relation to a prisoner, means the police officer, prison officer or other person specified in the warrant authorising the transfer of the prisoner under this Act as the escort officer for the prisoner.

"extradition country" has the same meaning as in the Extradition Act 1988 .

"federal prisoner" :

  (a)   means a prisoner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed under a law of the Commonwealth; and

  (b)   includes a prisoner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed under a law of the Northern Territory and who was, before 12   June 1985, removed to the State of South Australia under section   3 of the Removal of Prisoners (Territories) Act 1923 .

"foreign law" means a law of a foreign country or of a part of, or in force in a part of, a foreign country.

"Former Yugoslavia Tribunal" :

  (a)   means the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991, established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 827 S/RES/827 (1993); and

  (b)   includes the organs referred to in Article 11 of the Statute of the Tribunal.

Note:   In 2013, the text of United Nations Security Council resolutions was accessible through the United Nations website (www.un.org).

"Immigration Minister" means the Minister administering the Migration Act 1958 .

"International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals" :

  (a)   means the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1966 S/RES/1966 (2010); and

  (b)   includes the organs referred to in Article 4 of the Statute of the Tribunal.

Note 1:   In 2013, the text of United Nations Security Council resolutions was accessible through the United Nations website (www.un.org).

Note 2:   The United Nations Security Council decided on 22   December 2010 to establish this Mechanism to carry out residual functions of the Former Yugoslavia Tribunal and the Rwanda Tribunal.

"joint prisoner" means:

  (a)   a prisoner who is serving sentences of imprisonment imposed under the laws of 2 or more of the States and Territories; or

  (b)   a federal prisoner who is also serving one or more sentences of imprisonment imposed under the laws of one or more of the States and Territories.

"law" of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory, means a law (whether written or unwritten) of the Commonwealth, that State or that Territory, and includes a law (whether written or unwritten) in force in the Commonwealth, that State or that Territory or in any part of the Commonwealth, that State or that Territory.

"mental illness" means an underlying pathological infirmity of the mind, whether of long or short duration and whether permanent or temporary, but does not include a condition that results from the reaction of a healthy mind to extraordinary stimuli.

"mental impairment" includes senility, intellectual disability, mental illness, brain damage and severe personality disorder.

"mentally impaired prisoner" means:

  (a)   a person serving a sentence of imprisonment on the acquittal of the person for an offence on the ground of mental impairment; or

  (b)   a person serving a sentence of imprisonment because the person has been found mentally unfit to stand trial.

"national" of a country means a person who is a citizen of the country under the law of the country.

"non-parole period" , in relation to a sentence of imprisonment, means that part of the period of imprisonment for that sentence during which the person is not to be released on parole, whether that part of the period is fixed or recommended by a court or tribunal or fixed by operation of law.

"non-Tribunal offence" means an offence other than a Tribunal offence.

"parent" : without limiting who is a parent of a person for the purposes of this Act, someone is the parent of a person if the person is his or her child because of the definition of child in this subsection.

"police officer" means:

  (a)   a member or special member of the Australian Federal Police; or

  (b)   a member of the police force of a State or Territory.

"prisoner" means a person (however described) who is serving a sentence of imprisonment and includes:

  (a)   a mentally impaired prisoner; and

  (b)   a person who has been released on parole.

"prisoner's representative" means a person who may consent to the transfer of a prisoner as referred to in section   6.

"prison officer" means a person appointed or employed to assist in the management of a prison.

"release on parole" means any form of conditional release in the nature of parole and includes:

  (a)   release on probation; and

  (b)   release on licence to be at large.

"Rwanda Tribunal" :

  (a)   means the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan citizens responsible for genocide and other such violations committed in the territory of neighbouring States, between 1   January 1994 and 31   December 1994, established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 955 S/RES/955 (1994); and

  (b)   includes the organs referred to in Article 10 of the Statute of the Tribunal.

Note:   In 2013, the text of United Nations Security Council resolutions was accessible through the United Nations website (www.un.org).

"sentence of imprisonment" means any punishment or measure involving:

  (a)   deprivation of liberty; or

  (b)   potential deprivation of liberty, if the punishment or measure relates to a conviction for a non - Tribunal offence;

ordered by a court or tribunal for a determinate or indeterminate period in the exercise of its criminal jurisdiction, and includes any direction or order given or made by the court or tribunal with respect to the commencement of the punishment or measure.

Note:   Paragraph   (b) covers suspended sentences.

"serving" : see subsection   4B(1).

"State" includes the ACT and the Northern Territory.

"State Minister" means:

  (a)   in relation to a particular State other than the ACT or the Northern Territory--the Minister of the State administering the law of the State relating to the transfer of prisoners; and

  (b)   in relation to the ACT--the ACT Minister; and

  (c)   in relation to the Northern Territory--the Minister for the Northern Territory administering the law of the Northern Territory relating to the transfer of prisoners;

and includes any Minister acting for the time being for or on behalf of that Minister and any person to whom the Minister has delegated any of the Minister's functions under this Act.

"State prisoner" means a prisoner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed under a law of a State.

"Statute of the Tribunal" means:

  (a)   for the Former Yugoslavia Tribunal--the Statute of the Tribunal:

  (i)   adopted by United Nations Security Council Resolution 827 S/RES/827 (1993); and

  (ii)   annexed to the United Nations Secretary - General's report S/25704 (1993) given pursuant to paragraph   2 of United Nations Security Council Resolution 808 S/RES/808 (1993); and

  (b)   for the Rwanda Tribunal--the Statute of the Tribunal annexed to (and adopted by) United Nations Security Council Resolution 955 S/RES/955 (1994); and

  (c)   for the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals--the Statute of the Mechanism in Annex   1 to (and adopted by) United Nations Security Council Resolution 1966 S/RES/1966 (2010).

Note:   In 2013, the text of United Nations Security Council resolutions and United Nations Secretary - General reports was accessible through the United Nations website (www.un.org).

"superintendent" of a prison means the person for the time being in charge of the prison.

"suspended part" : see subsection   4B(2).

"Territory" means the Jervis Bay Territory, Norfolk Island, the Territory of Christmas Island and the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, but does not include the ACT and the Northern Territory.

"Territory Minister" , in relation to a Territory, means the Minister administering the law of the Territory relating to the transfer of prisoners, and includes:

  (a)   any Minister acting for the time being for or on behalf of that Minister; and

  (b)   any person to whom the Minister has delegated any of the Minister's functions under this Act.

"Territory prisoner" means a prisoner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed under a law of a Territory.

"transfer country" means a foreign country or a region that is declared by the regulations under section   8 to be a transfer country.

"treaty" includes a convention, protocol, agreement or arrangement.

"Tribunal" means:

  (a)   the Former Yugoslavia Tribunal; or

  (b)   the Rwanda Tribunal; or

  (c)   the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

"Tribunal country" means a foreign country in which a Tribunal prisoner is serving, or is to serve, a sentence of imprisonment imposed by the Tribunal.

"Tribunal offence" means:

  (a)   an offence in relation to which the Former Yugoslavia Tribunal has the power to prosecute persons under Article 2, 3, 4 or 5 of the Statute of the Tribunal; or

  (b)   an offence in relation to which the Rwanda Tribunal has the power to prosecute persons under Article 2, 3 or 4 of the Statute of the Tribunal; or

  (c)   an offence in relation to which the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals has the power to prosecute persons under Article 1 of the Statute of the Tribunal.

"Tribunal prisoner" means a prisoner who is serving a sentence of imprisonment imposed by a Tribunal for a Tribunal offence.

  (2)   For the purposes of this Act, the following persons are taken not to be serving a sentence of imprisonment:

  (a)   a person who has been released by a court from serving the whole or a part of a sentence of imprisonment on the person giving a security (with or without sureties) by recognisance or otherwise, that the person will comply with conditions relating to the person's behaviour and in relation to whom action can no longer be taken because of a breach of a condition of the security or because of the expiration of the security;

  (b)   a person who, through exercise of the Royal prerogative of mercy or other executive prerogative or discretion given by law, is no longer required to serve the whole or part of a sentence of imprisonment;

  (c)   a person on whom a sentence of imprisonment has been imposed that has not yet commenced.

  (3)   If a sentence of death imposed on a person has been commuted to a term of imprisonment or to imprisonment for life, this Act applies to and in relation to the person as if the sentence of death had been a sentence of imprisonment for that term or for life.

  (4)   For the purposes of this Act, a prisoner has community ties with a transfer country if:

  (a)   the prisoner's principal place of residence immediately before being sentenced to imprisonment in Australia was in the transfer country; or

  (b)   the principal place of residence of a close family member of the prisoner is in the transfer country; or

  (d)   the prisoner has a close continuing relationship (involving frequent personal contact and a personal interest in the other person's welfare) with anyone whose principal place of residence is in the transfer country.

  (5)   For the purposes of this Act, a prisoner has community ties with a State or a Territory if:

  (a)   the prisoner's principal place of residence immediately before being sentenced to imprisonment in the transfer country was in that State or Territory; or

  (b)   the principal place of residence of a close family member of the prisoner is in that State or Territory; or

  (d)   the prisoner has a close continuing relationship (involving frequent personal contact and a personal interest in the other person's welfare) with anyone whose principal place of residence is in that State or Territory.



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