Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009

Administered by Attorney-General's Department

Legislation au C2009A00077 In force Act

Legislation content

 

 

 

 

 

 

Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009

 

No. 77, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

An Act to amend various Acts relating to law and justice, and for related purposes

 

 

Contents

1 Short title

2 Commencement

3 Schedule(s)

Schedule 1—Amendments relating to the cross border justice scheme

Service and Execution of Process Act 1992

Schedule 2—Amendments relating to taking evidence by audio or audiovisual link

Service and Execution of Process Act 1992

Schedule 3—Amendments relating to New Zealand

Evidence and Procedure (New Zealand) Act 1994

 

 

 

Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009

No. 77, 2009

 

 

 

An Act to amend various Acts relating to law and justice, and for related purposes

[Assented to 7 September 2009]

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1  Short title

  This Act may be cited as the Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009.

2  Commencement

  This Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

3  Schedule(s)

  Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.


Schedule 1—Amendments relating to the cross border justice scheme

 

Service and Execution of Process Act 1992

1  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

crossborder laws means the following:

 (a) the cross border laws of a participating jurisdiction, within the meaning of the CrossBorder Justice Act 2008 of Western Australia;

 (b) the laws of a State, or provisions of a law of a State, that are prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph.

2  After subsection 8(3)

Insert:

 (3A) This Act:

 (a) does not affect the operation of the crossborder laws; and

 (b) does not apply to a person in relation to a particular matter if the crossborder laws would, apart from this Act, apply to the person in relation to the matter.


Schedule 2—Amendments relating to taking evidence by audio or audiovisual link

 

Service and Execution of Process Act 1992

1  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

audio link means facilities (for example, telephone facilities) that enable audio communication between persons in different places.

2  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

audiovisual link means facilities that enable audio and visual communication between persons in different places.

3  Subsection 20(7)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

4  Paragraph 20(8)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

5  Paragraph 28(b)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (b) who is in prison but who need neither attend before the court or authority for the purpose of complying with the subpoena nor give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to the court or authority.

6  Subsection 33(7)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

7  Paragraph 33(8)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

8  Paragraph 38(b)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (b) is required to:

 (i) attend before a court, authority or person for the purpose of complying with the subpoena; or

 (ii) give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to a court, authority or person.

9  Subsection 43(7)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

10  Paragraph 43(8)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

11  Subsection 44(9)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

12  Paragraph 44(10)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

13  Subparagraph 56(b)(ii)

Repeal the subparagraph, substitute:

 (ii) who is in prison but who need neither attend before the tribunal for the purpose of complying with the subpoena nor give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to the tribunal.

14  Subsection 61(7)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

15  Paragraph 61(8)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

16  Paragraph 66(b)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (b) is addressed to a person (in this Subdivision called the prisoner) who is in prison in a State other than the place of issue and who is required to:

 (i) attend before the tribunal for the purpose of complying with the subpoena; or

 (ii) give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to the tribunal.

17  Subsection 71(7)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

18  Paragraph 71(8)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

19  Subsection 72(10)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

20  Paragraph 72(11)(b)

Omit “video link or telephone”, substitute “audio link or audiovisual link”.

21  Subparagraph 75(b)(ii)

Repeal the subparagraph, substitute:

 (ii) who is in prison but who need neither attend before the tribunal for the purpose of complying with the subpoena nor give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to the tribunal.

22  Paragraph 78(b)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (b) is addressed to a person (in this Subdivision called the prisoner) who is in prison in a State other than the place of issue and who is required to:

 (i) attend before the tribunal for the purpose of complying with the subpoena; or

 (ii) give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to the tribunal.

23  Subparagraphs 84(4)(a)(iii) and (6)(a)(ii) and (iii)

Omit “telephone”, substitute “audio link”.

24  Paragraph 129(a)

Repeal the paragraph, substitute:

 (a) if the person need not, for the purposes of complying with the subpoena, do either or both of the following:

 (i) attend before the court, authority or tribunal that issued the subpoena;

 (ii) give oral evidence, by audio link or audiovisual link, to the court, authority or tribunal;

  comply with the subpoena;


Schedule 3—Amendments relating to New Zealand

 

Evidence and Procedure (New Zealand) Act 1994

1  Subsection 3(1)

Insert:

excluded family proceeding means:

 (a) a proceeding in respect of an application made under the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction signed at The Hague on 25 October 1980; or

 (b) a proceeding relating to the status or property of a person who is not fully able to manage his or her own affairs.

Note: The text of the Convention referred to in paragraph (a) is set out in Australian Treaty Series 1987 No. 2 ([1987] ATS 2). In 2009, the text of a Convention in the Australian Treaty Series was accessible through the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (www.austlii.edu.au).

2  Subsection 3(1) (definition of family proceeding)

Repeal the definition.

3  Section 7

After “proceeding” (first occurring), insert “, other than a criminal proceeding or an excluded family proceeding,”.

4  Paragraph 7(b)

Omit “; other than a criminal proceeding or family proceeding”.

5  Paragraph 18(a)

Omit “a family”, substitute “an excluded family”.

6  Application

The amendments made by items 3, 4 and 5 apply in relation to a proceeding commenced on or after the commencement of this item.

7  Subsection 25(3)

Omit “the court”, substitute “or receiving submissions by video link or telephone, all its powers which it”.

 

 

 

 

 

[Minister’s second reading speech made in—

House of Representatives on 19 March 2009

Senate on 15 June 2009]

(46/09)

 

Overview

The Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009 is an Act of the Parliament of Australia designed to amend various Acts relating to law and justice, and to address certain gaps in the legal framework. The Act was enacted to provide comprehensive amendments to existing legislation, particularly focusing on the cross-border justice scheme, taking evidence by audio or audiovisual link, and the procedures involving New Zealand. The primary purpose of this Act is to enhance the efficiency and adaptability of the legal system in handling cross-jurisdictional matters and to modernise the methods of evidence presentation and reception across different legal forums. The Act received Royal Assent on 7 September 2009 and commenced on the same day.

Scope and Application

The Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009 is an Act of the Australian Parliament designed to amend various laws related to law and justice, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of cross-border legal processes. The Act applies to entities and individuals involved in cross-border legal matters and encompasses amendments to the Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 and the Evidence and Procedure (New Zealand) Act 1994. The Act’s amendments primarily concern the cross-border justice scheme, the use of audio and audiovisual links for taking evidence, and proceedings relating to New Zealand. The Act is applicable across the Commonwealth of Australia, ensuring uniformity in legal processes across different jurisdictions. Notably, the Act does not apply to certain types of proceedings, such as excluded family proceedings and criminal proceedings, as defined within the Act. The scope of the Act extends through subordinate instruments, which can further specify the regulations and detailed provisions for its implementation.

Key Provisions

The Law and Justice (Cross Border and Other Amendments) Act 2009 (C2009A00077) primarily amends existing legislation to facilitate cross-border legal processes and enhance the efficiency of evidence collection via audio or audiovisual links. The Act includes three main schedules, each targeting specific areas for amendment. Schedule 1 amends the Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 to incorporate definitions and provisions that pertain to cross-border laws and processes. Schedule 2 introduces amendments to enable the use of audio or audiovisual links for taking evidence, replacing previous video link and telephone provisions. Schedule 3 modifies the Evidence and Procedure (New Zealand) Act 1994 to update definitions and clarify the types of proceedings that can be conducted with New Zealand. The Act imposes several obligations on the parties and entities it governs. It mandates that the Service and Execution of Process Act 1992 must not interfere with the operation of cross-border laws and must not apply to matters already governed by such laws. Additionally, the Act requires the use of audio or audiovisual links for taking evidence, replacing older methods like video link or telephone. This ensures that modern technology is used to facilitate the legal process, making it more efficient and accessible. Furthermore, the Act updates the definitions within the Evidence and Procedure (New Zealand) Act 1994, specifying which types of proceedings can be conducted with New Zealand, excluding criminal and certain family proceedings. Breaching the provisions of this Act could result in various consequences. The Act does not explicitly outline specific offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breaches. However, failure to comply with the mandated use of audio or audiovisual links for taking evidence, or interference with the operation of cross-border laws, could lead to legal challenges and potential penalties under the existing legal framework. For instance, non-compliance with court-ordered procedures could result in contempt of court, which carries potential fines or imprisonment. Similarly, failure to adhere to the requirements for evidence collection in cross-border cases could lead to evidence being deemed inadmissible, potentially affecting the outcome of legal proceedings.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Civil Litigation & Procedure
Cross Border Law
International Law
Instrument
Act
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Repeal & Amendment
Definitions & Interpretation
Regulatory Standards
Civil Penalty Provisions

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

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.