CRIMES (TORTURE) ACT 1988

This compilation was prepared on 5 August 2009
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 70 of 2009

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General's Department, Canberra

Contents

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ....................................................................... 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 1

4............ Application ......................................................................................... 2

5............ Effect of this Act on other laws ......................................................... 2

5A......... Application of the Criminal Code ...................................................... 2

6............ Offence of torture ............................................................................... 2

7............ Only Australian citizens or persons present in Australia may be prosecuted 3

8............ Prosecutions ....................................................................................... 3

9............ Jurisdiction of courts and choice of law ............................................. 4

10 Alternative verdicts ...................................................................................... 4

11.......... No defence of exceptional circumstances or superior orders .............. 5

12.......... Section 38 of Judiciary Act ................................................................ 6

13.......... Assistance under article 6 of Convention ........................................... 6

Schedule--Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 7

Notes 23

Notes to the Crimes (Torture) Act 1988

Note 1

The Crimes (Torture) Act 1988 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 148, 1988 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For all relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Crimes (Torture) Act 1988	148, 1988	26 Dec 1988	14 Feb 1989 (see Gazette 1989, No. S49)
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001	24, 2001	6 Apr 2001	S. 4(1), (2) and Schedule 19: (a)	S. 4(1), (2)
Disability Discrimination and Other Human Rights Legislation Amendment Act 2009	70, 2009	8 July 2009	Schedule 3 (item 17): 5 Aug 2009	--

(a) The Crimes (Torture) Act 1988 was amended by Schedule 19 only of the Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001, subsection 2(1)(a) of which provides as follows:

(1) Subject to this section, this Act commences at the later of the following times:

(a) immediately after the commencement of item 15 of Schedule 1 to the Criminal Code Amendment (Theft, Fraud, Bribery and Related Offences) Act 2000;

Item 15 commenced on 24 May 2001.

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
S. 3......................................	am. No. 70, 2009
S. 5A...................................	ad. No. 24, 2001
S. 6......................................	am. No. 24, 2001

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 (No. 24, 2001)

4 Application of amendments

(1) Subject to subsection (3), each amendment made by this Act applies to acts and omissions that take place after the amendment commences.

(2) For the purposes of this section, if an act or omission is alleged to have taken place between 2 dates, one before and one on or after the day on which a particular amendment commences, the act or omission is alleged to have taken place before the amendment commences.

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

CRIMES (TORTURE) ACT 1988 - NOTES