Commonwealth Numbered Acts

PASSPORTS AMENDMENT ACT 1984 No. 168, 1984 - SECT 5

5. Section 7A of the Principal Act is amended-

   (a)  by omitting sub-section (1) and substituting the following
        sub-section:



"(1) Subject to sub-sections (2), (5) and (7), an authorized officer shall
not, unless otherwise directed by the Minister, issue an Australian passport
to a prescribed minor.";

   (b)  by omitting from sub-section (2) all the words before paragraph (a)
        and substituting the following:



"(2) An authorized officer may, unless otherwise directed by the Minister,
issue an Australian passport to an Australian citizen who is a prescribed
minor if-";

   (c)  by omitting from paragraphs (2) (a), (b) and (c) "applicant" (wherever
        occurring) and substituting "minor"; and

   (d)  by adding at the end thereof the following sub-sections:



"(3) Where-

   (a)  an application has been made for the issue of an Australian passport
        to an Australian citizen who is a prescribed minor; and

   (b)  the applicant for the passport has furnished to an authorized officer
        a written statement declaring that special circumstances exist by
        reason of which the passport should be issued and setting out
        particulars of those circumstances,
the authorized officer shall refer the application and statement to the
approved senior officer.



"(4) Where an application for the issue of an Australian passport is referred
to the approved senior officer under sub-section (3), the approved senior
officer shall, unless he refers the application to the Minister-

   (a)  consider the application having regard to any guidelines issued under
        sub-section (6); and

   (b)  if he is satisfied that special circumstances exist by reason of which
        the passport should be issued, give an authorized officer written
        notice that he is so satisfied.



"(5) Where the approved senior officer gives an authorized officer a notice
under paragraph (4) (b) in relation to an application for the issue of a
passport to a prescribed minor, the authorized officer shall, unless otherwise
directed by the Minister, issue a passport to that minor.



"(6) The Minister may, by instrument in writing, issue guidelines relating to
the consideration of applications under paragraph (4) (a).



"(7) Where an authorized officer is satisfied that an Australian passport
issued to a prescribed minor has been lost, stolen or destroyed, the officer
may issue an Australian passport to that minor, not being a passport the
period of validity of which extends beyond the period of validity of the
first-mentioned passport.".