Interpretation
3C Interpretation
In this Part, unless the contrary intention appears:
account‑based data has the meaning given by section 3CAA.
carrier means:
a carrier within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997; or
a carriage service provider within the meaning of that Act.
communication in transit means a communication (within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997) passing over a telecommunications network (within the meaning of that Act).
constable assisting, in relation to a warrant, means:
a person who is a constable and who is assisting in executing the warrant; or
a person who is not a constable and who has been authorised by the relevant executing officer to assist in executing the warrant.
data held in a computer includes:
data held in any removable data storage device for the time being held in a computer; or
data held in a data storage device on a computer network of which the computer forms a part.
digital asset means:
a digital representation of value or rights (including rights to property), the ownership of which is evidenced cryptographically and that is held and transferred electronically by:
a type of distributed ledger technology; or
another distributed cryptographically verifiable data structure; or
a right or thing prescribed by the regulations;
but does not include any right or thing that, under the regulations, is taken not to be a digital asset for the purposes of this Part.
electronic service has the same meaning as in the Online Safety Act 2021.
emergency situation, in relation to the execution of a warrant in relation to premises, means a situation that the executing officer or a constable assisting believes, on reasonable grounds, involves a serious and imminent threat to a person’s life, health or safety that requires the executing officer and constables assisting to leave the premises.
evidential material means a thing relevant to an indictable offence or a thing relevant to a summary offence, including such a thing in electronic form.
executing officer, in relation to a warrant, means:
the constable named in the warrant by the issuing officer as being responsible for executing the warrant; or
if that constable does not intend to be present at the execution of the warrant—another constable whose name has been written in the warrant by the constable so named; or
another constable whose name has been written in the warrant by the constable last named in the warrant.
frisk search means:
a search of a person conducted by quickly running the hands over the person’s outer garments; and
an examination of anything worn or carried by the person that is conveniently and voluntarily removed by the person.
issuing officer, in relation to a warrant to search premises or a person or a warrant for arrest under this Part, means:
a magistrate; or
a justice of the peace or other person employed in a court of a State or Territory who is authorised to issue search warrants or warrants for arrest, as the case may be.
Under section 3ZZBJ, an eligible issuing officer (within the meaning of Part IAAA) may, as specified in that section, consider and deal with an application for a warrant as if the eligible issuing officer were an issuing officer within the meaning of this Part.
magistrate, in sections 3ZI, 3ZJ, 3ZK, 3ZN and 3ZQZB, has a meaning affected by section 3CA.
offence means:
an offence against a law of the Commonwealth (other than the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982); or
an offence against a law of a Territory; or
a State offence that has a federal aspect.
ordinary search means a search of a person or of articles in the possession of a person that may include:
requiring the person to remove his or her overcoat, coat or jacket and any gloves, shoes and hat; and
an examination of those items.
police station includes:
a police station of a State or Territory; and
a building occupied by the Australian Federal Police.
premises includes a place and a conveyance.
recently used conveyance, in relation to a search of a person, means a conveyance that the person had operated or occupied at any time within 24 hours before the search commenced.
seizable item means anything that would present a danger to a person or that could be used to assist a person to escape from lawful custody.
seize, for a digital asset, has a meaning affected by subsection 3FA(8).
serious offence means an offence:
that is punishable by imprisonment for 2 years or more; and
that is one of the following:
a Commonwealth offence;
an offence against a law of a State that has a federal aspect;
an offence against a law of a Territory; and
that is not a serious terrorism offence.
serious terrorism offence means:
a terrorism offence (other than offence against section 102.8, Division 104, Division 105 or section 112.7 of the Criminal Code); or
an offence against a law of a State:
that has a federal aspect; and
that has the characteristics of a terrorism offence (other than such an offence that has the characteristics of an offence against section 102.8, Division 104, Division 105 or section 112.7 of the Criminal Code); or
an offence against a law of a Territory that has the characteristics of a terrorism offence (other than such an offence that has the characteristics of an offence against section 102.8, Division 104, Division 105 or section 112.7 of the Criminal Code).
strip search means a search of a person or of articles in the possession of a person that may include:
requiring the person to remove all of his or her garments; and
an examination of the person’s body (but not of the person’s body cavities) and of those garments.
telecommunications facility means a facility within the meaning of the Telecommunications Act 1997.
warrant means a warrant under this Part.
warrant premises means premises in relation to which a warrant is in force.
A person referred to in paragraph (b) of the definition of constable assisting in subsection (1) must not take part in searching or arresting a person.
This provision refers to the regulations (prescribed by the regulations
, the regulations
). Made under this Act:
- Crimes Regulations 2019 · under s 91
The statute text is free to read above. View subscription options to unlock the case-law research tools for each provision.