Criminal Code Act 1995
Section 3
CHAPTER 5 - THE SECURITY OF THE COMMONWEALTH Part 5.6 - Secrecy of information
View history note
Hide history noteCommunication causing harm to Australia ' s interests
(1)
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person communicates information; and
(b) either:
(i) the communication causes harm to Australia ' s interests; or
(ii) the communication will or is likely to cause harm to Australia ' s interests; and
(c) the information was made or obtained by that person by reason of his or her being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity.
Note 1:
For the definition of cause harm to Australia ' s interests , see section 121.1 .
Note 2:
For exceptions to the offences in this section, see section 122.5 .
Penalty: Imprisonment for 7 years.
Other conduct causing harm to Australia ' s interests
(2)
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person deals with information (other than by communicating it); and
(b) either:
(i) the dealing causes harm to Australia ' s interests; or
(ii) the dealing will or is likely to cause harm to Australia ' s interests; and
(c) the information was made or obtained by that person by reason of his or her being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.
Information removed from, or held outside, proper place of custody
(3)
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person:
(i) removes information from a proper place of custody for the information; or
(ii) holds information outside a proper place of custody for the information; and
(b) either:
(i) the removal or holding causes harm to Australia ' s interests; or
(ii) the removal or holding will or is likely to cause harm to Australia ' s interests; and
(c) the information was made or obtained by that person by reason of his or her being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.
Failure to comply with direction regarding information
(4)
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person is given a direction; and
(b) the direction is a lawful direction regarding the retention, use or disposal of information; and
(c) the person fails to comply with the direction; and
(d) either:
(i) the failure to comply causes harm to Australia ' s interests; or
(ii) the failure to comply will or is likely to cause harm to Australia ' s interests; and
(e) the information was made or obtained by that person by reason of his or her being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.
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