INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ACT 2001

This compilation was prepared on 30 January 2012
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 80 of 2011

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

Part 1--Preliminary 1

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

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

3............ Definitions .......................................................................................... 1

4............ Extension to external Territories .......................................................... 5

5............ Application of Criminal Code ............................................................. 5

Part 2--Functions of the agencies 6

6............ Functions of ASIS .............................................................................. 6

6A......... Committee to be advised of other activities ......................................... 7

6B......... Functions of DIGO ............................................................................. 7

7............ Functions of DSD ............................................................................... 8

8............ Ministerial directions ........................................................................... 9

9............ Ministerial authorisation .................................................................... 10

9A......... Authorisations in an emergency ........................................................ 12

10.......... Period during which authorisation has effect etc. .............................. 12

10A....... Agency heads must report on authorised activities ............................ 13

11.......... Limits on agencies' functions ............................................................ 14

12.......... Limits on agencies' activities ............................................................. 15

12A....... Special responsibilities of Directors and Director-General ................ 15

13.......... Co-operation with other authorities in connection with performance of agency's own functions 15

13A....... Co-operation with intelligence agencies etc. in connection with performance of their functions 16

14.......... Liability for certain acts ..................................................................... 17

15.......... Rules to protect privacy of Australians ............................................. 18

Part 3--Establishment of ASIS and role of Director-General 20

Division 1--Establishment and control of ASIS 20

16.......... Establishment of ASIS on a statutory basis ...................................... 20

17.......... Appointment of Director-General ..................................................... 20

18.......... Control of ASIS ................................................................................ 20

19.......... Briefing the Leader of the Opposition about ASIS ........................... 20

Division 2--Administrative provisions relating to the Director-General 21

20.......... Period of appointment ....................................................................... 21

21.......... Remuneration etc. .............................................................................. 21

22.......... Resignation ....................................................................................... 21

23.......... Termination of appointment .............................................................. 21

24.......... Acting Director-General .................................................................... 22

25.......... Outside employment ......................................................................... 22

26.......... Disclosure of interests by Director-General ...................................... 23

27.......... Delegation ......................................................................................... 23

Part 4--Committee on Intelligence and Security 24

28.......... Committee on Intelligence and Security ............................................ 24

29.......... Functions of the Committee .............................................................. 24

30.......... Agency heads and Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security to brief the Committee 26

31.......... Annual report .................................................................................... 26

32.......... Schedule 1 ......................................................................................... 26

Part 5--Staff of ASIS 27

33.......... Employment of staff .......................................................................... 27

34.......... Engagement of consultants ................................................................ 27

35.......... Applicability of principles of Public Service Act 1999 ...................... 27

36.......... Special provisions relating to existing staff ....................................... 27

37.......... Staff grievances ................................................................................. 28

38.......... Application of Crimes Act ................................................................ 28

Part 6--Miscellaneous 29

39.......... Communication of certain information--ASIS ................................. 29

39A....... Communication of certain information--DIGO ................................ 30

40.......... Communication of certain information--DSD .................................. 30

41.......... Publication of identity of staff ........................................................... 31

42.......... Annual report .................................................................................... 32

43.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 32

Schedule 1--Committee on Intelligence and Security 33

Part 1A--Preliminary 33

1A......... Definitions ........................................................................................ 33

1B......... Application of provisions of Schedule to subcommittees .................. 34

Part 1--Procedure 35

1............ Committee must not require certain information to be disclosed ....... 35

2............ Power to obtain information and documents ..................................... 35

3............ Provision of information to Committee by agencies .......................... 36

4............ Certificates by Minister ..................................................................... 36

5............ Evidence ............................................................................................ 38

6............ Publication of evidence or contents of documents ............................. 38

7............ Restrictions on disclosure to Parliament ............................................ 39

8............ Continuance of evidence ................................................................... 40

Part 2--Offences 41

9............ Offences relating to publishing or disclosing evidence or documents 41

10.......... Offences relating to giving evidence or producing documents .......... 42

11.......... Protection of witnesses ..................................................................... 43

12.......... Secrecy .............................................................................................. 43

13.......... Prosecution of offences ..................................................................... 44

Part 3--Administration 45

14.......... Appointment of members .................................................................. 45

15.......... Term of office ................................................................................... 45

16.......... Chair ................................................................................................. 46

16A....... Deputy Chair ..................................................................................... 46

17.......... Meetings ........................................................................................... 47

18.......... Quorum ............................................................................................. 48

19.......... Voting at meetings ............................................................................ 48

20.......... Proceedings ....................................................................................... 48

21.......... Staff of the Committee must be cleared for security purposes ........... 49

22.......... Protection of information and documents .......................................... 49

Part 4--Subcommittees 50

23.......... Subcommittees .................................................................................. 50

24.......... Term of office ................................................................................... 50

25.......... Operation of subcommittees .............................................................. 50

Schedule 2--Limits on provision of weapons, training etc. 51

1............ Provision of weapons, training etc. ................................................... 51

2............ Application of certain State and Territory laws ................................. 52

3............ Reports to Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security ................ 52

Notes 53

An Act relating to the Australian intelligence services, and for related purposes

Notes to the Intelligence Services Act 2001

Note 1

The Intelligence Services Act 2001 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 152, 2001 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
Intelligence Services Act 2001	152, 2001	1 Oct 2001	29 Oct 2001
Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002	65, 2002	5 July 2002	Schedule 1 (item 19): 6 July 2002 (a)	--
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2003	77, 2003	22 July 2003	Schedule 1 (item 27D): 23 July 2003	--
ASIO Legislation Amendment Act 2003	143, 2003	17 Dec 2003	18 Dec 2003	--
Intelligence Services Amendment Act 2004	57, 2004	27 Apr 2004	27 Apr 2004	--
Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Act 2005	128, 2005	4 Nov 2005	Schedules 1-8: 2 Dec 2005 Remainder: Royal Assent	Sch. 1 (items 68-70)
Telecommunications (Interception) Amendment Act 2006	40, 2006	3 May 2006	Schedule 1 (item 20A): 13 June 2006 (see F2006L01623)	--
ASIO Legislation Amendment Act 2006	54, 2006	19 June 2006	Schedule 2 (item 33): (b)	--
Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Act 2007	177, 2007	28 Sept 2007	Schedule 1 (items 15, 68): 1 Nov 2007 (see F2007L03941)	Sch. 1 (item 68)
Superannuation Legislation Amendment (Trustee Board and Other Measures) (Consequential Amendments) Act 2008	26, 2008	23 June 2008	Schedule 1 (item 81): Royal Assent	--
Telecommunications Interception and Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Act 2011	4, 2011	22 Mar 2011	Schedule 6 (items 18-27) and Schedule 8: 23 Mar 2011	Sch. 8 (item 4)
Statute Law Revision Act 2011	5, 2011	22 Mar 2011	Schedule 5 (items 116-119) and Schedule 6 (items 63-66): 19 Apr 2011	--
Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011	46, 2011	27 June 2011	Schedule 2 (items 733, 734) and Schedule 3 (items 10, 11): 27 Dec 2011	Sch. 3 (items 10, 11)
Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Act 2011	80, 2011	25 July 2011	Schedule 1 (items 20-28, 32): 26 July 2011	Sch. 1 (item 32)

(a) Subsection 2(1) (item 8A) of the Security Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act 2002 provides as follows:

(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, on the day or at the time specified in column 2 of the table.

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
8A. Schedule 1, item 19	The latest of: (a) the start of the day after the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent; and (b) the start of the day after the day on which the Border Security Legislation Amendment Act 2002 receives the Royal Assent; and (c) the start of the day after the day on which the Criminal Code Amendment (Suppression of Terrorist Bombings) Act 2002 receives the Royal Assent; and (d) the start of the day after the day on which the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism Act 2002 receives the Royal Assent	6 July 2002 (paragraphs (a), (b) and (d) apply)

(b) Subsection 2(1) (items 2 and 3) of the ASIO Legislation Amendment Act 2006 provides as follows:

(1) Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
2. Schedule 1	The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.	20 June 2006
3. Schedule 2	Immediately after the commencement of the provision(s) covered by table item 2.	20 June 2006

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
S. 3......................................	am. No. 128, 2005; Nos. 4 and 5, 2011
Part 2
S. 6......................................	am. No. 57, 2004; No. 128, 2005; Nos. 4 and 80, 2011
Note to s. 6(3)....................	ad. No. 57, 2004
S. 6B...................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
	am. Nos. 4 and 80, 2011
S. 7......................................	am. No. 128, 2005; No. 4, 2011
Ss. 8, 9................................	am. No. 128, 2005; No. 80, 2011
S. 9A...................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
	am. No. 5, 2011
S. 10....................................	am. No. 128, 2005
S. 10A.................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
S. 11....................................	am. No. 128, 2005; Nos. 4 and 80, 2011
Heading to s. 12A..............	am. No. 128, 2005
S. 12A.................................	am. No. 128, 2005
Heading to s. 13................	am. No. 4, 2011
S. 13....................................	am. No. 57, 2004
S. 13A.................................	ad. No. 4, 2011
S. 14....................................	am. No. 128, 2005; No. 40, 2006; No. 177, 2007; No. 80, 2011
S. 15....................................	am. No. 128, 2005; No. 80, 2011
Part 3
Division 2
S. 23....................................	am. No. 26, 2008
S. 24....................................	am. No. 46, 2011
Notes to s. 24(1), (2).........	ad. No. 46, 2011
S. 27....................................	am. No. 128, 2005
Part 4
Heading to Part 4..............	rs. No. 128, 2005
Heading to s. 28................	am. No. 128, 2005
S. 28....................................	am. No. 128, 2005; No. 4, 2011
S. 29....................................	am. No. 65, 2002; Nos. 77 and 143, 2003; No. 128, 2005; No. 54, 2006
S. 30....................................	am. No. 128, 2005
Part 6
S. 39A.................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
S. 40....................................	am. No. 128, 2005
S. 42....................................	am. No. 57, 2004
Schedule 1
Heading to Schedule 1.....	rs. No. 128, 2005
Part 1A
Heading to Part 1A............	rs. No. 128, 2005
C. 1A...................................	am. No. 128, 2005
C. 1B...................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
Part 1
Heading to c. 3..................	am. No. 128, 2005
C. 7.....................................	am. No. 128, 2005
C. 8.....................................	am. No. 4, 2011
Part 3
C. 16A.................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
C. 17...................................	am. No. 128, 2005
C. 18...................................	am. No. 128, 2005; No. 4, 2011
C. 20...................................	am. No. 128, 2005
Part 4
Part 4..................................	ad. No. 128, 2005
Cc. 23-25...........................	ad. No. 128, 2005
Schedule 2
Schedule 2.........................	ad. No. 57, 2004
C. 1.....................................	ad. No. 57, 2004
	am. No. 80, 2011
Cc. 2, 3...............................	ad. No. 57, 2004

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Act 2005 (No. 128, 2005)

Schedule 1

68 Application of amendment relating to cancellation of certain authorised operations

The amendment made by item 25 applies to:

(a) authorisations in force under section 9 of the Intelligence Services Act 2001 at the time of the commencement of that item; and

(b) authorisations given under that section after the commencement of that item.

69 Application of amendment relating to reports of authorised operations

The amendment made by item 26 applies to an activity, or series of activities, authorised under section 9 of the Intelligence Services Act 2001 after the commencement of that item.

70 Committee on Intelligence and Security--transitional provision

(1) This item applies to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD (the Committee) that was in existence under the Intelligence Services Act 2001 immediately before the commencement of this item.

(2) The Committee continues in existence by force of this item, after the commencement of this item, as the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security under the Intelligence Services Act 2001, subject to the amendments made by this Schedule.

(3) A person who held office as a member of the Committee immediately before the commencement of this item is taken to have been appointed, immediately after that commencement, as a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

(4) The person who held office as Chair of the Committee immediately before the commencement of this item is taken to have been elected, immediately after that commencement, as Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

(5) If the Committee was conducting a review immediately before commencement:

(a) the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security may continue the review after that commencement; and

(b) anything done for the purposes of the review before commencement is taken to have been done for the purposes of the review as continued in accordance with this item.

Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment Act 2007
(No. 177, 2007)

Schedule 1

68 Transitional regulations

The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters of a transitional nature (including prescribing any saving or application provisions) relating to the amendments or repeals made by this Schedule.

Telecommunications Interception and Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Act 2011 (No. 4, 2011)

Schedule 8

4 Transitional--existing appointments not affected

The amendments made by this Schedule do not affect an appointment, made before the commencement of this item, of a Senator or member of the House of Representatives as a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.

Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011 (No. 46, 2011)

Schedule 3

10 Saving--appointments

The amendments made by Schedule 2 do not affect the validity of an appointment that was made under an Act before the commencement of this item and that was in force immediately before that commencement.

11 Transitional regulations

Intelligence Services Legislation Amendment Act 2011 (No. 80, 2011)

Schedule 1

32 Application--subsection 15(7) of the Intelligence Services Act 2001

Subsection 15(7) of the Intelligence Services Act 2001, as added by this Schedule, applies in relation to rules that are made under subsection 15(1) of that Act before or after this Schedule commences.

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

INTELLIGENCE SERVICES ACT 2001 - NOTES