International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations (Cth)

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Statutory Rules 1996

No. 197 1

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International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations

I, The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963.

Dated 28 August 1996.

 

 WILLIAM DEANE

 Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command,

  

ALEXANDER DOWNER

Minister for Foreign Affairs

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Citation

 1. These Regulations may be cited as the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Privileges and Immunities) Regulations.

[NOTE: These Regulations commence on gazettal: see Acts Interpretation Act 1901, s. 48.]

Interpretation

 2.(1) In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears:

“Agreement” means the Agreement establishing the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance done at Stockholm on 27 February 1995;

“expert” means a person performing short term or temporary missions for or on behalf of the Institute;

“Institute” means the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance established under Article I of the Agreement;

“Secretary-General” means a person who holds, or is performing the duties of, the office of Secretary-General of the Institute;

“serious offence” means an offence under any law of the Commonwealth or a State or a Territory for which, if the act or omission had taken place in the Jervis Bay Territory, a person would be liable, on first conviction, to imprisonment for a period of not less than 5 years;

“the Act” means the International Organizations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1963.

Act to apply to the Institute

 3.The Institute is declared to be an international organisation to which the Act applies.

Institute has legal personality and capacity

 4. The Institute:

(a)

is a body corporate with perpetual succession; and

  • (b)

    is capable, in its corporate name:

    • (i)

      of entering into contracts; and

    • (ii)

      of acquiring, holding and disposing of real and personal property; and

    • (iii)

      of suing and being sued.

Privileges and immunities of the Institute

 5. (1) Subject to subregulation (2), the Institute has the privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of the First Schedule to the Act.

(2) The immunity from suit and from other legal process conferred on the Institute by subregulation (1) does not extend to immunity from a suit or other legal process for the recovery of damages for any damage, injury or death resulting from a motor vehicle accident or offence in which a motor vehicle owned by, or operated on behalf of, the Institute was involved.

Privileges and immunities of Secretary-General

 6.(1) The office of Secretary-General is a high office in the Institute for the purposes of subparagraph 6 (1) (b) (i) of the Act.

 (2) Subject to subregulations (4) and (5), a person who holds, or is performing the duties of, the office of Secretary-General has the privileges and immunities specified in Part I of the Second Schedule to the Act.

 (3) Subject to subregulation (5), a person who has ceased to hold, or perform the duties of, the office of Secretary-General has the immunities specified in Part II of the Second Schedule to the Act.

 (4) The privileges and immunities conferred on a person under subregulation (2) do not apply to a child of the person if the child:

  • (a)

    has attained the age of 18 years; or

  • (b)

    ceases to be a dependant of the person.

 (5) Subject to subregulation (6), the privileges and immunities conferred on a person by subregulation (2), or the immunities conferred on a person by subregulation (3), do not extend to a person who is an Australian citizen or a permanent resident of Australia.

 (6) Subregulation (5) does not affect immunity from a suit or other legal process in relation to actions of a person undertaken in performing the duties of the office of Secretary-General.

Privileges and immunities of representatives attending meetings convened by the Institute

 7.(1) Subject to subregulations (3), (4) and (5), a person who is accredited to, or attends, a meeting in Australia convened by the Institute as a representative of a country other than Australia, has the privileges and immunities specified in items 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of Part I of the Third Schedule to the Act.

 (2) Subject to subregulations (4) and (5), a person who has ceased to be accredited to, or who has attended, a meeting convened by the Institute in Australia as a representative of a country other than Australia, has the immunities specified in Part II of the Third Schedule to the Act.

 (3) The immunities conferred on a person by subregulation (1) do not extend to immunity from personal arrest and detention if the person is found committing or attempting to commit, or has just committed, a serious offence.

 (4) The immunities conferred on a person by subregulation (1) or (2) do not extend to immunity from a suit or other legal process for the recovery of damages for any damage, injury or death resulting from an accident in which a motor vehicle owned or driven by the person was involved.

 (5) The immunities conferred on a person by subregulation (1) or (2) do not apply to a person who is an Australian citizen or a person permanently resident in Australia.

Privileges and immunities of officers of the Institute

 8.(1) Subject to subregulations (2), (6) and (7), a person who holds an office in the Institute (other than the office of Secretary-General) has the privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.

 (2) The salary and emoluments received from the Institute for services performed in Australia for the Institute by a person:

  • (a)

    to whom subregulation (1) applies; and

  • (b)

    who is a resident of Australia, within the meaning of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936;

are exempt from taxation only if:

  • (c)

    the person is not an Australian citizen or a person permanently resident in Australia; and

  • (d)

    the person came to Australia solely for the purpose of performing duties of the office in the Institute.

 (3) A person to whom subregulation (1) applies and who is not:

  • (a)

    an Australian citizen; or

  • (b)

    a person permanently resident in Australia;

has, in addition to the privileges and immunities referred to in subregulation (1), the privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 4, 5, and 6 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.

 (4) A person to whom subregulation (1) applies and who is:

  • (a)

    an Australian citizen; or

  • (b)

    a person permanently resident in Australia;

has, if the name of that person is included in a list that has been:

  • (c)

    drawn up by the Secretary-General; and

  • (d)

    approved by the Minister by instrument in writing;

the privilege specified in paragraph 4 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.

 (5) Subject to subregulation (6), a person who has ceased to hold an office in the Institute has the immunities specified in Part II of the Fourth Schedule to the Act.

 (6) The immunities conferred on a person by subregulation (1) or (5) do not extend to immunity from a suit or other legal process:

  • (a)

    for the recovery of damages for any damage, injury or death resulting from an accident in which a motor vehicle owned or driven by the person was involved; or

  • (b)

    with respect to the commission of an offence under a provision of a law of the Commonwealth, of a State or of a Territory, with respect to motor traffic, motor vehicles or the use of a motor vehicle.

 (7) The privilege specified in paragraph 3 of Part I of the Fourth Schedule to the Act and conferred under subregulation (1) does not apply to a child of the person if the child:

  • (a)

    has attained the age of 18 years; or

  • (b)

    ceases to be a dependant of the person.

Privileges and immunities of experts working with the Institute

 9.(1) An expert, not being a person to whom subregulation 7 (1) or 8 (1) applies, has the privileges and immunities specified in paragraphs 2, 2A, 3 and 5 of Part I of the Fifth Schedule to the Act.

 (2) Subject to subregulation (3), an expert who has served on a committee, or participated in the work, of the Institute or performed a mission on behalf of the Institute has the immunities specified in Part II of the Fifth Schedule to the Act.

 (3) The immunities conferred on an expert by subregulation (1) or (2) do not extend to immunity from a suit or other legal process:

  • (a)

    for the recovery of damages for any damage, injury or death resulting from an accident in which a motor vehicle owned or driven by the person was involved; or

  • (b)

    with respect to the commission of an offence under a provision of a law of the Commonwealth, of a State or of a Territory, relating to motor traffic, motor vehicles or the use of a motor vehicle.

Waiver of privileges and immunities

 10.(1) The Institute may waive any privilege or immunity conferred by the Act or these Regulations on:

  • (a)

    the Institute; or

  • (b)

    a person who holds, or has ceased to hold, the office of Secretary-General.

 (2) The Secretary-General may waive any privileges or immunities to which a person is entitled under regulations 8 or 9.

 (3) The government of a country may waive any privileges or immunities to which:

  • (a)

    a person who is, or has been, accredited to or attending an international conference convened by the Institute as a representative of that country; or

  • (b)

    a person who is, or has been during any period, a member of the official staff of a person referred to in paragraph (a);

is entitled under the Act or these Regulations.

 (4) The principal executive official of:

  • (a)

    an international organisation (other than the Institute) to which the Act applies; or

  • (b)

    an overseas organisation to which the Act applies;

may waive any privileges and immunities to which:

  • (c)

    a person who is, or has been, accredited to or attending an international conference convened by the Institute as a representative of that organisation; or

  • (d)

    a person who is, or has been during any period, a member of the official staff of a person referred to in paragraph (a);

is entitled under the Act or these Regulations.

Privileges and immunities subject to quarantine laws etc.

 11.(1) Subject to subregulation (2), nothing in these Regulations affects the application of any law of the Commonwealth, a State or a Territory relating to:

  • (a)

    quarantine; or

  • (b)

    the prohibition or restriction of imports into, or exports from, Australia or an External Territory of any animals, plants or goods; or

  • (c)

    public order.

(2) Subregulation (1) does not prejudice the immunity from suit or from other legal processes conferred by these Regulations.

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NOTE

1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette

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