Intelligence Services Act 2001

A person commits an offence if:

the person engages in any of the following conduct (the relevant conduct):

copying a record;

transcribing a record;

retaining a record;

removing a record;

dealing with a record in any other manner; and

the record was acquired or prepared by or on behalf of ASIS, AGO, DIO or ASD (the relevant agency) in connection with its functions, or relates to the performance by the relevant agency of its functions; and

the record was obtained by the person by reason of the person:

being, or having been, a staff member of the relevant agency or an agent of ASIS; or

having entered into any contract, agreement or arrangement with the relevant agency; or

having been an employee or agent of a person who has entered into a contract, agreement or arrangement with the relevant agency; and

the relevant conduct was not engaged in:

in the course of the person’s duties as a staff member or agent; or

in accordance with a contract, agreement or arrangement with the relevant agency; or

by the person acting within the limits of authority conferred on the person by the head of the relevant agency; or

with the approval of the head of the relevant agency or of a staff member of the relevant agency having the authority of the head of the relevant agency to give such an approval.

Subsection (1) does not apply to a record that has already been communicated or made available to the public with the authority of the Commonwealth.

A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (2): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

Subsection (1) does not apply if the person deals with the record for the purpose of an IGIS official exercising a power, or performing a function or duty, as an IGIS official.

A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in subsection (2A): see subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code.

Subsection (4) applies if, in a prosecution for an offence (the prosecuted offence) against subsection (1), the trier of fact:

is not satisfied that the defendant is guilty of the prosecuted offence; but

is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty of an offence against subsection 40D(1) (the alternative offence).

The trier of fact may find the defendant not guilty of the prosecuted offence but guilty of the alternative offence, so long as the defendant has been accorded procedural fairness in relation to that finding of guilt.

In this section: