Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918

An authorised officer may take possession of:

a document or other thing produced under section 314AN; or

a document or other thing seized by a person under a search warrant issued under section 314AQ.

The person otherwise entitled to possession of a document is entitled to be supplied, as soon as practicable, with a copy certified by the authorised officer to be a true copy.

The certified copy must be received in all courts and tribunals as evidence as if it were the original.

Until a certified copy is supplied, the authorised officer must, at such times and places as the authorised officer thinks appropriate, permit the person otherwise entitled to possession of a document, or a person authorised by that person, to inspect and make copies of the document.

The authorised officer may use the document or other thing, or make it available to another authorised officer to use, for the following purposes, if using the document or thing is necessary for the purpose:

investigating a contravention of a civil penalty provision in, or an offence against, this Part;

deciding whether to institute proceedings in relation to such a contravention or offence;

proceedings in relation to such a contravention or offence.

The document or other thing may be retained for as long as is reasonably necessary, but, unless it is evidence in proceedings as mentioned in paragraph (5)(c), not longer than the day that is 60 days after the day on which the authorised officer took possession of the document or thing.