Notification to Ombudsman or IGIS about investigation
50A Notification to Ombudsman or IGIS about investigation
If:
the principal officer of the agency has decided under section 48 or 49 not to investigate the disclosure under this Division, or not to investigate the disclosure further; and
the agency is not the Ombudsman, the IGIS or an intelligence agency; and
if the agency is AUSTRAC, the Department of Home Affairs or the Australian Federal Police—the disclosure does not relate to the intelligence functions of the agency;
the principal officer must, as soon as reasonably practicable, give written notice to the Ombudsman of the decision, and of the reasons for the decision.
If:
the principal officer of the agency has decided under section 48 or 49 not to investigate the disclosure under this Division, or not to investigate the disclosure further; and
either:
the agency is an intelligence agency; or
the agency is AUSTRAC, the Department of Home Affairs or the Australian Federal Police, and the disclosure relates to the intelligence functions of the agency;
the principal officer must, as soon as reasonably practicable, give written notice to the IGIS of the decision, and of the reasons for the decision.
The notice under subsection (1) or (2) must:
indicate whether the principal officer has taken action, or proposes to take action, under section 50AA in relation to the referral of the conduct disclosed for investigation under another law or power; and
if the principal officer has taken, or proposes to take, such action—include details of the following:
the other law or power;
the agency or other person or body to which the conduct has been, or is to be, referred;
the steps taken, or proposed to be taken, for the conduct to be referred or to facilitate its referral.
If a stop action direction under the NACC Act prevents the principal officer of the agency from investigating, or further investigating, the disclosure under this Division, the principal officer must, as soon as reasonably practicable, give written notice of the stop action direction to:
the Ombudsman (unless paragraph (b) applies); or
the IGIS, if the disclosure concerns conduct relating to:
an intelligence agency; or
the IGIS; or
AUSTRAC, the Department of Home Affairs or the Australian Federal Police in relation to that agency’s intelligence functions.
This Act’s bill:Explanatory memorandumSecond reading speech
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