Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2016 (82 of 2016)

Schedule 9   Telecommunications interception

Part 1   Amendments

Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979

24   After subsection 46A(2)

Insert:

Control order warrant

(2A) If a control order warrant agency applies to an eligible Judge or nominated AAT member for a warrant in respect of a person and the Judge or nominated AAT member is satisfied, on the basis of the information given to the Judge or nominated AAT member under this Part in connection with the application, that:

(a) Division 3 has been complied with in relation to the application; and

(b) in the case of a telephone application - because of urgent circumstances, it was necessary to make the application by telephone; and

(c) there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that a particular person is using, or is likely to use, more than one telecommunications service; and

(d) a control order is in force in relation to the person; and

(e) information that would be likely to be obtained by intercepting under a warrant:

(i) communications made to or from any telecommunications service that the person is using, or is likely to use; or

(ii) communications made by means of a particular telecommunications device or particular telecommunications devices that the person is using, or is likely to use;

would be likely to substantially assist in connection with:

(iii) the protection of the public from a terrorist act; or

(iv) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, a terrorist act; or

(v) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(vi) determining whether the control order, or any succeeding control order, has been, or is being, complied with; and

(f) having regard to the matters referred to in subsection (2B), and to no other matters, the Judge or nominated AAT member should issue a warrant authorising such communications to be intercepted;

the Judge or nominated AAT member may, in his or her discretion, issue such a warrant.

Note 1: Subsection (3) restricts the issuing of a warrant authorising interception of communications made by means of a telecommunications device or telecommunications devices identified in the warrant.

Note 2: For control orders that have been made but not come into force, see section 6T.

(2B) For the purposes of subsection (2A), the matters to which the Judge or nominated AAT member must have regard are:

(a) how much the privacy of any person or persons would be likely to be interfered with by intercepting under a warrant:

(i) communications made to or from any telecommunications service used, or likely to be used, by the person in respect of whom the warrant is sought; or

(ii) communications made by means of a particular telecommunications device or particular telecommunications devices used, or likely to be used, by the person in respect of whom the warrant is sought;

as the case requires; and

(b) how much the information referred to in paragraph (2A)(e) would be likely to assist in connection with:

(i) the protection of the public from a terrorist act; or

(ii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, a terrorist act; or

(iii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(iv) determining whether the control order, or any succeeding control order, has been, or is being, complied with; and

(c) to what extent methods (including the use of a warrant issued under section 46) for:

(i) the protection of the public from a terrorist act; or

(ii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, a terrorist act; or

(iii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(iv) determining whether the control order, or any succeeding control order, has been, or is being, complied with;

that do not involve the use of a warrant issued under this section in relation to the person have been used by, or are available to, the agency; and

(d) how much the use of such methods would be likely to assist in connection with:

(i) the protection of the public from a terrorist act; or

(ii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, a terrorist act; or

(iii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(iv) determining whether the control order, or any succeeding control order, has been, or is being, complied with; and

(e) how much the use of such methods would be likely to prejudice:

(i) the protection of the public from a terrorist act; or

(ii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, a terrorist act; or

(iii) preventing the provision of support for, or the facilitation of, the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(iv) determining whether the control order, or any succeeding control order, has been, or is being, complied with;

whether because of delay or for any other reason; and

(f) whether intercepting under a warrant communications referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection would be the method that is likely to have the least interference with any person's privacy; and

(g) the possibility that the person in relation to whom the control order is in force:

(i) has engaged, is engaging, or will engage, in a terrorist act; or

(ii) has provided, is providing, or will provide, support for a terrorist act; or

(iii) has facilitated, is facilitating, or will facilitate, a terrorist act; or

(iv) has provided, is providing, or will provide, support for the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(v) has facilitated, is facilitating, or will facilitate, the engagement in a hostile activity in a foreign country; or

(vi) has contravened, is contravening, or will contravene, the control order; or

(vii) will contravene a succeeding control order; and

(h) in relation to an application by an interception agency of Victoria - any submissions made by the Victorian PIM under section 44A to the Judge or nominated AAT member; and

(i) in relation to an application by an interception agency of Queensland - any submissions made by the Queensland PIM under section 45 to the Judge or nominated AAT member.