TRANSFER OF PRISONERS ACT 1983

This compilation was prepared on 4 December 2009
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 106 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

Part I--Preliminary 1

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

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

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

4............ Application of Act to certain external Territories ............................ 10

5............ Declaration of State transfer laws ..................................................... 10

Part II--Transfer for prisoner's welfare 11

6............ Transfer of Commonwealth prisoner on welfare grounds ................ 11

7............ Revocation of welfare transfer orders ............................................... 11

Part III--Transfer for purpose of trial 13

Division 1--Trial transfer order 13

8............ Application for transfer to stand trial on charge in respect of offence against a law of the Commonwealth or a Territory ........................................................................................... 13

9............ Application for transfer to stand trial on charge in respect of offence against a law of a State 14

10.......... Proceedings before court of summary jurisdiction ........................... 14

11.......... Review of decision made upon application for trial transfer order .. 16

12.......... Revocation of trial transfer orders .................................................... 17

13.......... Representation .................................................................................. 18

Division 2--Return of prisoner 20

14.......... Return of prisoner ............................................................................ 20

15.......... Revocation of return transfer orders ................................................. 22

16.......... Return of prisoner for appeal purposes ........................................... 22

16A....... Return of prisoner after attending appeal ......................................... 24

Part IV--Transfer for purpose of security 26

16B....... Transfer of prisoner on security grounds ......................................... 26

16C....... Return of prisoner ............................................................................ 26

16D....... Transfer for court proceedings--general .......................................... 28

16E........ Transfer for trial of remand prisoner ................................................ 29

16F........ Transfer under State transfer laws .................................................... 30

Part V--Effect of transfer order 31

17.......... Transfer in custody of escort etc. ..................................................... 31

18.......... Transferred sentences ....................................................................... 32

19.......... Transferred sentences--non‑parole periods ..................................... 33

20.......... Transferred sentences--reductions and remissions .......................... 34

21.......... Transferred sentences--default imprisonment ................................. 36

22.......... Territory sentences cease to have effect on transfer ........................ 37

23.......... Federal sentences--reductions and remissions ................................. 37

24.......... Royal prerogative of mercy .............................................................. 38

Part VI--Miscellaneous 39

25.......... Lawful custody of State prisoner in transit in Territory .................. 39

26.......... Escape of prisoners from lawful custody ......................................... 39

27.......... Escape charges may be dealt with in other courts ............................ 40

28.......... State laws may make provision in relation to certain transfers of joint prisoners and State prisoners 40

29.......... Delegation ......................................................................................... 40

30.......... Operation of other laws .................................................................... 41

31.......... Orders may be made in consequence of appeal or retrial ................. 42

32.......... Modification of Act in relation to certain external Territories ......... 43

33.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 43

Notes 45

Notes to the Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983

Note 1

The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 95, 1983 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

All relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions prior to 6 April 2001 is not included in this compilation. For subsequent information see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983	95, 1983	22 Nov 1983	1 Aug 1984 (see Gazette 1984, No. S292)
Defence Legislation Amendment Act 1984	164, 1984	25 Oct 1984	Part XV (ss. 117-119): 1 Aug 1984 (a)	--
Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 1987	120, 1987	16 Dec 1987	Ss. 68, 69(a): 13 Jan 1988 (b) Ss. 69(b) and 70-73: 19 Dec 1988 (see Gazette 1988, No. S384) (b)	--
Crimes Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 1989	4, 1990	17 Jan 1990	S. 34: 17 July 1990 (c)	--
Service and Execution of Process (Transitional Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Act 1992	166, 1992	11 Dec 1992	10 Apr 1993 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1993, No.GN13)	S. 4
Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1994	182, 1994	19 Dec 1994	Ss. 25 and 28: (see Gazette 1995, No. GN18) (d) Ss. 26 and 27: Royal Assent (d)	Ss. 24 and 29
Statute Law Revision Act 1996	43, 1996	25 Oct 1996	Schedule 2 (item 112): (e)	--
Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001	24, 2001	6 Apr 2001	S. 4(1), (2) and Schedule 48: (f) Schedule 51 (item 5): 15 Dec 2001 (f)	S. 4(1) and (2) [see Table A]
Anti‑terrorism Act (No. 2) 2004	124, 2004	16 Aug 2004	Schedule 3: 17 Aug 2004 Remainder: Royal Assent	--
Statute Law Revision Act 2008	73, 2008	3 July 2008	Schedule 1 (items 48-58): Royal Assent Schedule 4 (items 492-494): 4 July 2008	--
Federal Court of Australia Amendment (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 2009	106, 2009	6 Nov 2009	Schedule 1 (item 112): 4 Dec 2009	--

(a) The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 was amended by Part XV (sections 117-119) only of the Defence Legislation Amendment Act 1984, subsection 2(8) of which provides as follows:

(8) Part XV shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case requires, immediately after the commencement of the Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983.

(b) The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 was amended by sections 68-73 only of the Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 1987, subsections 2(1) and (6) of which provide as follows:

(1) Sections 11, 14, 16, 17, 18, 47, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75 and paragraph 69(b) shall come into operation on a day or days to be fixed by Proclamation.

(6) The remaining provisions of this Act shall come into operation on the twenty‑eighth day after the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.

(c) The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 was amended by section 34 only of the Crimes Legislation Amendment Act (No. 2) 1989, subsections 2(13) and (14) of which provide as follows:

(13) Subject to subsection (14), the remaining provisions of this Act commence on a day or days to be fixed by Proclamation.

(14) If a provision referred to in subsection (13) does not commence under that subsection within the period of 6 months beginning on the day it receives the Royal Assent, it commences on the first day after the end of that period.

(d) The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 was amended by the Crimes and Other Legislation Amendment Act 1994, subsections 2(1) and (7) of which provide as follows:

(1) Subject to this section, this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(7) The amendments made by sections 25 and 28 to the Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 do not take effect (except for the purposes of the making of a declaration under section 5 of that Act in relation to the Australian Capital Territory) until such a declaration is made.

(e) The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 was amended by Schedule 2 (item 112) only of the Statute Law Revision Act 1996, subsection 2(2) of which provides as follows:

(2) Each item in Schedule 2 commences or is taken to have commenced (as the case requires) at the time specified in the note at the end of the item.

Item 112 is taken to have commenced immediately after the commencement of the Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983.

The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 came into operation on 1 August 1984 (see Gazette 1984, No. S292).

(f) The Transfer of Prisoners Act 1983 was amended by Schedule 48 and Schedule 51 (item 5) only of the Law and Justice Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001, subsections 2(1)(a) and (3) of which provide 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;

(3) Schedules 21 and 51 commence on the day mentioned in subsection 2.2(2) of the Criminal Code.

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
Part I
S. 3......................................	am. No. 164, 1984; No. 120, 1987; No. 182, 1994; No. 124, 2004; No. 73, 2008
Part II
Ss. 6, 7................................	am. No. 73, 2008
Part III
Division 1
Heading to Div. 1 of Part III..	ad. No. 124, 2004
Ss. 8, 9................................	am. No. 120, 1987; No. 73, 2008
Ss. 10-12............................	am. No. 73, 2008
Division 2
Heading to Div. 2 of Part III..	ad. No. 124, 2004
S. 14....................................	am. No. 182, 1994; No. 73, 2008
S. 15....................................	am. No. 120, 1987
S. 16....................................	am. No. 164, 1984; No. 124, 2004; No. 73, 2008; No. 106, 2009
S. 16A.................................	ad. No. 120, 1987
	am. No. 73, 2008
Part IV
Heading to Part IV...............	rs. No. 124, 2004
Part IV.................................	ad. No. 124, 2004
Ss. 16B-16F.......................	ad. No. 124, 2004
Part V
S. 17....................................	am. No. 124, 2004; No. 73, 2008
Ss. 18-20............................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 21....................................	am. No. 166, 1992; No. 73, 2008
S. 23....................................	am. No. 4, 1990; No. 182, 1994; No. 73, 2008
S. 24....................................	am. No. 182, 1994
Part VI
S. 25....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 27....................................	am. No. 24, 2001
S. 28....................................	am. No. 73, 2008
S. 29....................................	am. No. 43, 1996; No. 124, 2004; No. 73, 2008
S. 30....................................	am. No. 166, 1992; No. 73, 2008
S. 31....................................	am. No. 73, 2008

Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

TRANSFER OF PRISONERS ACT 1983 - NOTES