Invasion of Privacy Act 1971
An Act to make provision for the licensing and control of credit reporting agents, for regulating the use of listening devices and for other purposes
Part 1 Preliminary
1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the Invasion of Privacy Act 1971.
2 Commencement
(1)Except as provided in subsection (2), this Act, or this Act less specified provisions, shall commence on a date to be fixed by the Governor by proclamation.(2)The Governor may, by proclamation under subsection (1) or by a subsequent proclamation or proclamations fix a date or dates for the commencement of the several provisions of this Act not brought into operation pursuant to subsection (1) later than the date fixed by the proclamation under subsection (1).(3)Every proclamation under this section shall be published in the gazette.
3 [Repealed]
4 Definitions
In this Act—approved ...approved form see section 51B.chief executive ...Commissioner means the commissioner of the police service.consumer ...credit report ...credit reporting agent ...credit reporting agent’s licence ...individual ...inspector means a person who is appointed under section 5 as an inspector.licence ...licensed credit reporting agent ...licensed private inquiry agent ...licensed subagent ...licensee ...listening device means any instrument, apparatus, equipment or device capable of being used to overhear, record, monitor or listen to a private conversation simultaneously with its taking place.Minister ...private conversation means any words spoken by one person to another person in circumstances that indicate that those persons desire the words to be heard or listened to only by themselves or that indicate that either of those persons desires the words to be heard or listened to only by themselves and by some other person, but does not include words spoken by one person to another person in circumstances in which either of those persons ought reasonably to expect the words may be overheard, recorded, monitored or listened to by some other person, not being a person who has the consent, express or implied, of either of those persons to do so.private inquiry agent ...private inquiry agent’s licence ...register ...registered address ...Registrar ...registrar ...related corporation ...subagent ...subagent’s licence ...
Part 2 Inspectors
5 Appointment of inspectors
(1)The chief executive may appoint an officer of the public service to be an inspector.(2)The chief executive may appoint a person to be an inspector only if—(a)the chief executive believes that the person has the necessary expertise or experience to be an inspector; or(b)the person has satisfactorily completed a course of training approved by the chief executive.(3)The chief executive may limit the powers of an inspector by stating conditions in the instrument of appointment.
6 Inspector’s identity card
(1)The chief executive must issue an identity card to each inspector.(2)The identity card must—(a)contain a recent photograph of the inspector; and