Customs Act 1901

PART XII - OFFICERS  

Division 1B - Detention and Search of Suspects  

Subdivision D - Detention generally  

SECTION 219ZD   DETAINEES NOT FLUENT IN ENGLISH  

219ZD(1)   [Interpreter to be present]  

Where an officer of Customs or police officer detaining a person under this Division has reasonable cause to believe that the person is unable, because of inadequate knowledge of the English language or for any other reason, to communicate orally with reasonable fluency in the English language, the officer must take all reasonable steps to ensure that, at all times during the person's detention when communication with or by the person is to take place, a person competent to act as an interpreter is present and acts as interpreter for the purposes of the communication.

219ZD(2)   [Communicate in another way]  

Subsection (1) does not apply if the person detained and the person with whom he or she is communicating are able:

(a) to communicate in a language other than the English language with reasonable fluency; or

(b) to communicate satisfactorily by any other means.