Human Rights Act 2004

The commission has the following functions:

review the effect of territory laws, including the common law, on human rights;

report in writing to the Minister on the results of the review.

The Minister must present a copy of a report mentioned in subsection (1) to the Legislative Assembly within 6 sitting days after the day the Minister receives the report.

However, the Minister may amend the report (including by omitting part of the report) before presenting it to the Legislative Assembly to prevent the report—

disclosing the identity of—

a person whose human rights have, or may have been, contravened; or

someone who may have contravened someone else’s rights; or

allowing the identity of someone mentioned in paragraph (a) to be worked out; or

disclosing information if the disclosure of the information could, in the Minister’s opinion, harm the public interest.

If the Minister amends the report, the Minister must present a statement to the Legislative Assembly with the report that tells the Assembly that the report has been amended.