House of Representatives

Explanatory Memorandum

(Circulated by authority of the Attorney-General, the Hon Christian Porter MP)

Statement of Compatibility with Human Rights

Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011

Statute Update (Autumn 2018) Bill 2018

This Bill is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview of the Bill

The main purpose of this Bill is to correct technical errors that have occurred in Acts as a result of drafting and clerical mistakes.

The Bill also contains amendments to:

(a)

update references in Acts from "the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia" to "Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand"; and

(b)

make amendments consequential on the Acts and Instruments (Framework Reform) Act 2015; and

(c)

remove references to the Crown in right of Norfolk Island; and

(d)

repeal spent and obsolete provisions and Acts (which will result in the repeal of approximately 572 pages of spent and obsolete provisions).

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.

Human rights implications

This Bill does not engage any human rights issues as it makes minor technical corrections and technical improvements to legislation. It also repeals obsolete provisions and Acts. It makes either no change or only minor changes to the substance of the law.

Conclusion

This Bill is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011, as it does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms or alter any human rights safeguards currently in place.