Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

WITNESS PROTECTION ACT 1994 - SECT 12

             (1)  Subject to this section, only the Commissioner, and persons who hold or occupy designated positions and who are authorised by the Commissioner, are to have access to the Register and to documents kept in conjunction with the Register.

             (2)  The Commissioner must allow the Commonwealth Ombudsman, or a person authorised by the Commonwealth Ombudsman who has a national security clearance at the level of "secret" or "top secret" or a position of trust clearance at the level of "highly protected", to have access to the Register or part of the Register or to some or all of the documents kept in conjunction with the Register for the purposes of:

                     (a)  an investigation by the Ombudsman under the Ombudsman Act 1976 ; or

                     (b)  an investigation under Part V of the Australian Federal Police Act 1979 .

             (3)  The Commissioner may, if he or she is of the opinion that it is in the interests of the due administration of justice to do so, allow another person to have access to the Register or part of the Register or to some or all of the documents kept in conjunction with the Register.

             (4)  If the Commissioner allows another person access under subsection (3), the Commissioner must notify the relevant approved authority of:

                     (a)  the name of the person to whom the access was allowed; and

                     (b)  the information the person was allowed access to; and

                     (c)  the reasons for allowing access.