And how the Turnbull Government couches these definitions in relation to national security and classified information may decide if a whistleblower or journalist ends up spending two years in an Australian gaol.
122.4
Unauthorised disclosure of information by Commonwealth officers and former
Commonwealth officers
(1) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person communicates
information; and
(b) the person made or obtained the
information by reason of his or her being, or having been, a Commonwealth
officer or otherwise engaged to perform work for a Commonwealth entity; and
(c) the person is under a duty not to
disclose the information; and
(d) the duty arises under a law of the
Commonwealth.
Penalty:
Imprisonment for 2 years.
(2)
Absolute liability applies in relation to paragraph (1)(d)
Note: A defendant bears an
evidential burden in relation to the matters in 10 this subsection (see
subsection 13.3(3)).
122.5
Defences
Powers,
functions and duties in a person’s capacity as a 4 Commonwealth officer etc. or
under arrangement……
Information
communicated in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013
(4)
It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence by a person against this
Division relating to the communication of information that the person
communicated the information in accordance with the Public Interest Disclosure
Act 2013.
Note:
A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in 24 this
subsection (see subsection 13.3(3)).
Information
communicated to a court or tribunal
(5)
It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence by a person against this
Division relating to the communication of information that the person
communicated the information to a court or tribunal (whether or not as a result
of a requirement).
Note: A defendant bears an
evidential burden in relation to the matters in this subsection (see subsection
13.3(3))......
Information
dealt with or held for the purposes of fair and accurate reporting…
(6)
It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence by a person against this
Division relating to the dealing with or holding of information that the person
dealt with or held the information:
(a)
in the public interest (see subsection (7)); and
(b) in the person’s capacity as a journalist
engaged in fair and accurate reporting. Note: A defendant bears an
evidential burden in relation to the matters in this subsection (see subsection
13.3(3))......
SECRECY
OFFENCES - DEFENCES AND OTHER MATTERS
Recommendation
26
5.87
The Committee recommends that the following proposed defences be broadened to
cover all dealings with information, rather than being limited to communication
of information:
§ proposed section 122.5(3) – relating
to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, the Commonwealth
Ombudsman and the Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner,
§ proposed section 122.5(4) – relating
to the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013,
§ proposed section 122.5(5) – relating
information provided to a court or tribunal, and
§ proposed section 122.5(8) – relating
to information that has been previously communicated.
Recommendation
27
5.90
The Committee recommends that the Attorney-General’s proposed amendments to the
defence for journalists at proposed section 122.5(6), and the associated
amendments at 122.5(7), be implemented. This includes expanding the defence to
all persons engaged in reporting news, presenting current affairs or expressing
editorial content in news media where the person reasonably believed that
dealing with or holding the information was in the public interest.
The
Committee also recommends that the Government consider further refinements to
the proposed defence in order to
§ make explicit that editorial support
staff are covered by the defence, including legal advisors and administrative
staff,
§ ensure editorial staff and lawyers,
who are engaging with the substance of the information, be required to hold a
reasonable belief that their conduct is in the public interest, and
§ allow administrative support staff
working at the direction of a journalist, editor or lawyer who holds the
reasonable belief, to benefit from the defence.
The Australian Attorney-General and Liberal MP for Pearce Christian Porter sent out this media release on 7 June 2018:
Attorney-General,
Christian Porter, welcomed the release today of the Parliamentary Joint
Committee on Intelligence and Security on the Government’s National Security
Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017.
"This is a major step
forward in securing passage of this critical legislation and protecting
Australia’s democratic systems from Foreign Interference, and it is my
expectation that the Bill will be considered and passed during the next sitting
period later this month," the Attorney-General said.
"The Committee has
made 60 recommendations, the large majority of which are minor changes to
definitions and drafting clarifications. The most substantive changes are those
that adopt the Government’s proposed amendments which I submitted to the
Committee as part of its deliberations earlier this year.
"Those Government
amendments expanded the public interest defence for journalists and created
separate graduated offences for commonwealth officers and non-commonwealth
officers. The amendments were designed to strike the best possible balance
between keeping Australia safe and not impeding the ordinary and important work
of journalists and media organisations.
"In addition to
minor drafting amendments and the adoption of the substantive Government
amendments that I provided earlier this year, the additional substantive
changes now recommended include that:
*There be a reduction to
the maximum penalties for the proposed new secrecy offences, and to require the
consent of the Attorney-General to any prosecution under these proposed new
secrecy offences;
* That all secrecy
offences in other Commonwealth legislation are reviewed; and
* Clarification that the
journalism defence extends to all editorial, legal and administrative staff
within the news organisation.
"Even in the time
that it has taken to consider the Espionage and Foreign Interference Bill, the
threat environment has changed and become more acute. As senior ASIO officials
have said repeatedly in recent months, we now live in a time of unprecedented
foreign intelligence activity against Australia with more foreign agents, from
more foreign powers, using more tradecraft to engage in espionage and foreign
interference than at any time since the Cold War."
"Given the rapid
change in the threat environment it is the Government’s intention to consider
the report and recommendations for amendments very quickly and my expectation
is that the Bill, in essentially the form now recommend by the Committee, should
be passed through Parliament during the next sitting period later this month;
noting of course the primary and most significant recommendation of the report
is that the Bill be passed."
The Attorney-General
said this Bill and the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill were both
critical to modernising our national security laws as part of the Turnbull
Government’s commitment to keep Australians safe and the Attorney-General
wanted to make particular note of the hard work of the Committee in the last two
weeks to produce this most recent Report.
"Safeguarding
Australia’s national security will always remain the Turnbull Government’s
number one priority and the Committee’s role in considering and making
amendments to national security legislation is at the centre of a process that
has seen ten tranches of national security laws passed since 2014, with the
Government accepting 128 recommendations of the Committee, resulting in 293
Government amendments," the Attorney-General said.
"This process was
conducted squarely in the national interest and represented a real fulfilment
of Australians expectations for cooperative bipartisan conduct when serious
national security issues are at stake. On this point I would like to personally
thank the Chair Andrew Hastie MP, the Shadow Attorney–General, the Hon Mark
Dreyfus QC MP, and Deputy Chair, the Hon Anthony Byrne MP, for their skilled
and good faith dealings with my office to deliver recommendations which
ultimately improve the Bill."
It goes without saying that incorporated community organisations, grassroots activists and social media bloggers/commentators are not afforded the protection of any detailed set of defences set out in the bill or in report recommendations.
On 8 June 2018 this was how the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and World Wildlife Fund - Australia saw their position under the provisions of this bill and review recommendations:
WWF-Australia and the
Australian Conservation Foundation say charities who hold the Australian
Government to account on its environmental record, could be charged under
proposed foreign interference and espionage laws.
Both groups say changes
recommended by a bipartisan committee, to address “overreach” concerns with the
Bill, don’t go far enough.
“We could still be
charged with espionage just for doing our job, which is a ridiculous
situation,” said WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman.
Charities such as
WWF-Australia and ACF are often sought out by international bodies to provide
independent analysis and a scientific assessment on the Australian Government’s
environmental performance.
If either organisation
briefed the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) on
failings to address threats to endangered species they could be charged with
espionage.
Or if they gave evidence
to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) on
shortfalls in Australia’s record on the environment they could face espionage
charges.
“Providing independent
analysis is core business for environmental organisations trying to save
Australia’s forests and threatened species,” Mr O’Gorman said.
“Would the 2050 Plan to
save the Great Barrier Reef have happened without attention from UNESCO?”
ACF Acting Chief
Executive Officer, Dr Paul Sinclair said: “Protests and advocacy may make some
politicians uncomfortable, but they are essential ingredients of a vibrant
democracy and healthy environment.
“Our security is of
course important. But restricting civil society advocacy in its name is
dangerous and would limit the community’s ability to hold the powerful to
account for any damage they cause to our clean air, clean water and safe
climate.
“All parties must work
to rewrite this bill to strengthen protections for the public oversight, free
expression and peaceful protest that makes our democracy strong.”
These conservation organisations have some reason to be concerned as committal for trial for an espionage or foreign interference offence is essentially a political decision taken by the Attorney-General, given s93.1 of National Security Legislation Amendment (Espionage and Foreign Interference) Bill 2017 requires consent from the Attorney-General to proceed.
Given the antipathy displayed by the Abbott and Turnbull Coalition Governments towards any form of organised political, social or environmental activism, it is not hard to imagine a scenario in which a federal government would act maliciously against those opposing its policy positions or actions and use the provisions in this bill to effect such an act.
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