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 of information
(1)
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person communicates information; and
(b) the information was not made or obtained by the person by reason of the person being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity; and
(c) the information was made or obtained by another person by reason of that other person being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity; and
(d) any one or more of the following applies:
(i) the information has a security classification of secret or top secret;
(ii) the communication of the information damages the security or defence of Australia;
(iii) the communication of the information interferes with or prejudices the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of a criminal offence against a law of the Commonwealth;
(iv) the communication of the information harms or prejudices the health or safety of the Australian public or a section of the Australian public.
Note 1:
For exceptions to the offences in this section, see section 122.5 .
Note 2:
The fault elements for this offence are intention for paragraph (1)(a) and recklessness for paragraphs (1)(b) to (d) (see section 5.6 ).
Penalty: Imprisonment for 5 years.
Other dealings with information
(2)
A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person deals with information (other than by communicating it); and
(b) the information was not made or obtained by the person by reason of the person being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity; and
(c) the information was made or obtained by another person by reason of that other person being, or having been, a Commonwealth officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity; and
(d) any one or more of the following applies:
(i) the information has a security classification of secret or top secret;
(ii) the dealing with the information damages the security or defence of Australia;
(iii) the dealing with the information interferes with or prejudices the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution or punishment of a criminal offence against of a law of the Commonwealth;
(iv) the dealing with the information harms or prejudices the health or safety of the Australian public or a section of the Australian public.
Note:
The fault elements for this offence are intention for paragraph (2)(a) and recklessness for paragraphs (2)(b) to (d) (see section 5.6 ).
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years.
Proof of identity not required
(3)
In proceedings for an offence against this section, the prosecution is not required to prove the identity of the other person referred to in paragraph (1)(c) or (2)(c).
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