STATUTORY RULES.
1917. No. 37.
REGULATION UNDER THE WAR PRECAUTIONS ACT 1914–1916.
I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulation, under the War Precautions Act 1914–1916, to come into operation forthwith.
Dated this sixteenth day of February, 1917.
R. M. FERGUSON,
Governor-General.
By His Excellency’s Command,
G.F. PEARCE,
Minister of State for Defence.
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War Precautions (Supplementary) Regulations.
(Statutory Rules 1916, No. 97, as amended by Statutory Rules 1916, Nos. 112, 122, 128, 129, 135, 167, 218, 219, 250, 252, 254, 255, 263, 271, 272, 273, 289, 293, 298, 300, 301, 303, 328, Statutory Rules 1917, Nos. 12 and 17)
After Regulation 23 of the War Precautions (Supplementary) Regulations the following Regulation is inserted: —
Prohibition of publication of figures regarding votes of members of the Forces and crews of transport vessels.
“24. No person shall publicly, announce, publish or exhibit any figures or alleged facts, other than figures or facts officially announced by the Prime Minister, as to the results of the voting by—
(a) members of the Forces serving beyond Australia or having returned from such service; or
(b) members of the crews of Australian transport vessels employed in the conveyance of members of the Forces to or from Australia,
at the Referendum held under the Military Service Referendum Act 1916.”
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Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by Albert J. Mullett, Government Printer for the State of Victoria.
C.2112.—Price 3d.
Overview
The War Precautions (Supplementary) Regulations, enacted in 1917 under the War Precautions Act 1914–1916, were introduced to address the need for stringent measures to maintain security and order during the First World War. The Governor-General, R. M. Ferguson, issued these regulations on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia, with the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The specific regulation in question, Regulation 24, was intended to prevent the public dissemination of any figures or facts regarding the voting results of service members and crew members of transport vessels, except for those officially announced by the Prime Minister, in relation to the referendum held under the Military Service Referendum Act 1916. This regulation was part of a series of amendments aimed at preserving national security and controlling the flow of information during wartime.
Scope and Application
This Statutory Rule, made under the War Precautions Act 1914-1916, applies to all persons within the Commonwealth of Australia, prohibiting them from publicly announcing, publishing, or exhibiting any figures or alleged facts about the results of the voting by members of the Forces and crews of Australian transport vessels, unless these figures or facts have been officially announced by the Prime Minister. This regulation specifically targets the dissemination of information regarding the voting outcomes of the Military Service Referendum Act 1916 among service members and crew members of transport vessels engaged in military service. The scope of this Act is comprehensive in terms of its geographic reach, applying uniformly across the Commonwealth. Additionally, this regulation can be extended or amended through subordinate instruments, as evidenced by the numerous amendments listed, thereby ensuring that it can adapt to the evolving circumstances of wartime. The rule serves to maintain confidentiality and control over information related to the military during the period of the First World War.
Key Provisions
The main operative section of this legislation is Regulation 24, which prohibits the public announcement, publication, or exhibition of any figures or facts about the voting results of members of the Forces serving beyond Australia or having returned from such service, and members of the crews of Australian transport vessels, at the Referendum held under the Military Service Referendum Act 1916 (section 24(a) and (b)). This provision requires that any such figures or facts must only be officially announced by the Prime Minister, thereby ensuring a controlled release of information.
The Act imposes an obligation on individuals and entities to adhere to this prohibition. Specifically, no person shall publicly announce, publish, or exhibit any figures or alleged facts regarding the voting results mentioned above, unless they are officially announced by the Prime Minister. This restriction aims to maintain a level of confidentiality and control over the dissemination of sensitive information related to military personnel and transport crew voting outcomes.
Failure to comply with this regulation may result in legal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed within the text of the regulation, it is reasonable to infer that breaches of this provision could lead to civil or criminal penalties, as per the general legal framework in place during the period. The maximum penalties, if applicable, would be determined by the relevant courts based on the severity and intent behind the breach.