House of Representatives

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by authority of the Attorney-General, Senator the Honourable George Brandis QC)

General Outline

The main purpose of this Bill is to update provisions in Acts to take account of changes to drafting precedents and practice.

In particular, the items of the Bill:

(a)

update references to penalties expressed as a number of dollars with penalties expressed as a number of penalty units; and

(b)

replace references to "maximum penalty" with "penalty"; and

(c)

amend provisions that deal with the evidentiary status of a certificate or other instrument, or of a register, to provide that it is prima facie evidence of the matters stated in it; and

(d)

update references to aircraft registered in accordance with the Civil Aviation Regulations 1988.

The amendments in this Bill will ensure that older provisions on the Commonwealth statute book continue to be expressed in ways that are consistent with the overall legal context in which they operate and reflect changes to the law. The amendments also enhance readability, facilitate interpretation and administration, and promote consistency across the Commonwealth statute book. The amendments are minor and technical in nature. The amendments either make no change or only minor changes to the substance of the law. Because some amendments may make minor changes, the amendments were not considered appropriate for inclusion in a Statute Law Revision Bill.

Financial Impact Statement

This Bill will have no financial impact.