Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980

Administered by Attorney-General's Department

Legislation au F1996B00492 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980

Statutory Rules 1980 No. 138 as amended

made under the

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979

This compilation was prepared on 18 September 2003
taking into account amendments up to SR 2003 No. 233

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting,
Attorney-General’s Department, Canberra

 

Contents

 1 Name of Regulations [see Note 1] 

 2 Interpretation 

 3 Seal of the Tribunal 

 3A Communication by legal advisers of information relating to person specified in a warrant (Act s 34U)             

 3B Lawyers’ access to security information for proceedings relating to warrant (Act s 34VA)             

 4 Prescribed form of information 

 5 Summons to witness 

 6 Fees and allowances payable to witnesses 

Schedule 1  

Form 1 Information concerning right to apply to Tribunal 

Form 2 Summons to witness 

Schedule 2 Witnesses’ fees and allowances for expenses 

Notes  

 

 

 

1 Name of Regulations [see Note 1]

  These Regulations are the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980.

2 Interpretation

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

presidential member has the same meaning as in Part IV of the Act.

the Act means the Australian Security Intelligence Organization Act 1979.

Tribunal means the Security Appeals Tribunal established by section 41 of the Act.

 (2) In these Regulations, a reference to a form by number shall be read as a reference to the form so numbered in Schedule 1.

3 Seal of the Tribunal

 (1) The seal of the Tribunal shall be of a design approved by the President and shall include:

 (a) the Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth of Australia, that is to say the armorial ensigns and supporters granted to the Commonwealth by Royal Warrant dated 19 September 1912; and

 (b) the words ‘Security Appeals Tribunal’.

 (2) There shall be kept at each Registry, in such custody as the President directs, a seal of the Tribunal, and any of those seals may be used as the seal of the Tribunal.

 (3) The seal of the Tribunal shall be affixed by or with the authority of the Tribunal to such documents as are required by a direction of a presidential member to be sealed with the seal of the Tribunal.

3A Communication by legal advisers of information relating to person specified in a warrant (Act s 34U)

  For subsection 34U (10) of the Act and subject to subsection 34U (11) of the Act, the prescribed authority must not authorise a legal adviser of a person (the subject) specified in a warrant issued under section 34D of the Act to communicate to any other person information obtained during the questioning or detention of the subject that relates to:

 (a) sources or holdings of intelligence; or

 (b) the Organisation’s method of operations.

Note   A legal adviser who communicates such information without authorisation commits an offence under subsection 34U (7) of the Act.

3B Lawyers’ access to security information for proceedings relating to warrant (Act s 34VA)

 (1) For section 34VA of the Act, access to security information must not be given to a lawyer unless:

 (a) the Attorney-General’s Department has given the lawyer a security clearance at the level considered appropriate by the Secretary in relation to the information; or

 (b) the Secretary is satisfied that giving the lawyer access to the information would not be prejudicial to the interests of security.

 (2) Access to security information may be given subject to any conditions that the Secretary considers appropriate including, but not limited to, conditions relating to the use, handling, storage or disclosure of the information.

 (3) Nothing in this regulation entitles a lawyer who is given a security clearance by the Attorney-General’s Department to be given access to security information.

 (4) In this regulation:

lawyer means a lawyer acting for a person in connection with proceedings for a remedy relating to:

 (a) a warrant issued under section 34D of the Act in relation to the person; or

 (b) the treatment of the person in connection with such a warrant.

Secretary means the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department.

security information means information access to which is controlled or limited on security grounds, otherwise than by this regulation.

4 Prescribed form of information

  For the purposes of subsection 38 (1) of the Act, the information to be contained in a notice under that subsection shall be in accordance with Form 1.

5 Summons to witness

 (1) A summons under subsection 58 (11) or 70 (2) of the Act shall be in accordance with Form 2.

 (2) A summons under subsection 58 (11) or 70 (2) of the Act shall be served on a person by:

 (a) delivering a copy of the summons to the person personally; and

 (b) showing the original of the summons to the person at the time at which the copy is delivered to him.

6 Fees and allowances payable to witnesses

  A person summoned to appear as a witness before the Tribunal shall be paid such fees, and allowances for expenses, in respect of his attendance as the Tribunal or a presidential member determines in accordance with the scale in Schedule 2.

Schedule 1  

Form 1 Information concerning right to apply to Tribunal

(regulation 4)

1. You may apply in writing to the Security Appeals Tribunal for a review of the assessment attached to this notice.

2. You must lodge with your application a copy of the assessment as furnished to you.

3. Your application must be made within the period of 30 days after receipt of the notification of the assessment or within such further time as the Tribunal, either before or after the expiration of that period, allows.

4. The application may be lodged at the Registry of the Tribunal at:

Level 4

Canberra House

40 Marcus Clarke Street

Canberra, ACT

or posted to:

GPO Box 9955

Canberra, ACT 2601.

Form 2 Summons to witness

(regulation 5)

Australian Security Intelligence Organization Act 1979

SECURITY APPEALS TRIBUNAL

SUMMONS TO WITNESS

In the matter of an application by [name of applicant]

TO: [full name and address of witness]

1. You are hereby summoned to attend to give evidence before the Security Appeals Tribunal at [place of hearing] on [date] at [time] and on each subsequent day of the hearing of the abovementioned matter or until you are excused or released from further attendance.

*2. You are required to bring with you and produce the following documents:

[set out documents required]

Dated this day of 19 .

[Signature of Registrar or Deputy Registrar]

* Delete if not applicable


Schedule 2 Witnesses’ fees and allowances for expenses

(regulation 6)

 

1. A person summoned to appear before the Tribunal as a witness because of his or her professional, scientific or other special skill or knowledge must be paid:

(a) if the person is remunerated in his or her occupation by wages, salary or fees — an amount equal to the amount of wages, salary or fees not paid to the person because of his or her attendance for that purpose; or

(b) in any other case — an amount of not less than $81, or more than $407, for each day he or she attends for that purpose.

2. A person summoned to appear before the Tribunal as a witness other than a person referred to in item 1 must be paid:

(a) if the person is remunerated in his or her occupation by wages, salary or fees — an amount equal to the amount of wages, salary or fees not paid to the person because of his or her attendance for that purpose; or

(b) in any case — an amount of not less than $46, or more than $76, for each day on which he or she attends for that purpose.

3. A person summoned to appear as a witness before the Tribunal must be paid a reasonable amount for allowances for:

(a) transport between the usual place of residence of the person and the place he or she attends for that purpose; and

(b) if he or she is required to be absent overnight from his or her usual place of residence — meals and accommodation.

Notes to the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980

Note 1

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980 (in force under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979) as shown in this compilation comprise Statutory Rules 1980 No. 138 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Statutory Rules

Year and
number

Date of notification
in Gazette

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

1980 No. 138

10 June 1980

10 June 1980

 

1990 No. 308

28 Sept 1990

28 Sept 1990

1993 No. 240

22 Sept 1993

22 Sept 1993

2003 No. 233

18 Sept 2003

18 Sept 2003

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

R. 1.................

rs. 2003 No. 233

R. 3A................

ad. 2003 No. 233

R. 3B................

ad. 2003 No. 233

Schedule 1............

am. 1990 No. 308; 1993 No. 240

Schedule 2............

rs. 1990 No. 308

 

Overview

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980 were enacted to provide detailed provisions for the administration of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979. These regulations address the operational framework for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), establishing procedural and administrative guidelines that support the agency's functions, including the protection of sensitive information and the administration of warrants. The regulations were introduced by the Commonwealth Parliament and aim to ensure that ASIO's activities are conducted within a clearly defined legal framework. The policy objective is to facilitate effective and lawful operations of ASIO while safeguarding national security and individual rights. These regulations cover various aspects such as the seal of the Security Appeals Tribunal, the communication of sensitive information by legal advisers, and the conditions under which lawyers can access security information. They also outline the prescribed forms for notices and summons, as well as the fees and allowances for witnesses appearing before the Tribunal. By establishing these detailed provisions, the regulations support the overarching goal of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, which is to protect Australia and its citizens from threats to security by gathering and analysing intelligence.

Scope and Application

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980, made under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, apply to the operations and procedures of the Security Appeals Tribunal, which is established under the Act. These regulations govern aspects such as the prescribed forms of information and summons to witnesses, as well as the fees and allowances payable to witnesses. The regulations apply to individuals and entities involved in proceedings before the Security Appeals Tribunal and cover the communication of sensitive information by legal advisers and the access to security information by lawyers. The geographic reach of these regulations is national, applying across Australia. The regulations may be amended or extended through subordinate instruments, such as statutory rules, which are subject to notification and commencement provisions as outlined in the Table of Statutory Rules and Table of Amendments. There are no stated exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds in these particular regulations.

Key Provisions

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Regulations 1980, made under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979, detail several key provisions governing the operations of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO). These regulations are crucial for ensuring that ASIO's activities align with the legislative framework, while protecting national security interests. Section 3A of the Regulations explicitly prohibits the unauthorised communication of sensitive intelligence information by legal advisers of individuals specified in warrants, as detailed in section 34U of the Act. This restriction is designed to safeguard the sources and methods of ASIO's intelligence operations. Similarly, section 3B outlines the conditions under which lawyers can access security information for proceedings related to warrants, requiring either a security clearance from the Attorney-General’s Department or a determination by the Secretary that access would not compromise security interests. These Regulations impose specific obligations on various parties. For example, they mandate the use of prescribed forms for notices and summonses, as outlined in sections 4 and 5. The prescribed form for notices (Form 1) must include details about the right to apply to the Security Appeals Tribunal, while the summons to witnesses (Form 2) must be delivered personally and shown to the witness. Furthermore, the Regulations specify the fees and allowances for witnesses, ensuring that they are compensated for their time and expenses in accordance with the scale provided in Schedule 2. Failure to comply with these Regulations can result in significant legal consequences. For instance, section 3A makes it an offence for a legal adviser to communicate sensitive information without authorisation, with penalties as prescribed under section 34U(7) of the Act. Additionally, any breaches of the prescribed forms and procedures for notices and summonses, as outlined in sections 4 and 5, could lead to procedural errors that might affect the validity of ASIO's actions. Although the Regulations do not explicitly state penalties for such breaches, non-compliance could potentially lead to legal challenges or interventions by the Security Appeals Tribunal.

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Area of Law
National Security Law
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations
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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.