Committee to review intelligence oversight bill

THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) has commenced a review into the Intelligence Oversight and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity Measures) Bill 2020.

The bill review was referred to the Committee by Christian Porter MP, Attorney-General.

The Intelligence Oversight and Other Legislation Amendment (Integrity Measures) Bill 2020 introduces specialized intelligence oversight for additional agencies with intelligence functions in the national intelligence community.

The Bill proposes to:

• expand the oversight of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS) to the intelligence functions of the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission;
• expand the oversight of the PJCIS to the intelligence functions of AUSTRAC; and
• make amendments to the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1986 to improve clarity, modernise drafting expressions and remove redundant provisions, as well as amendments to address certain limitations in the IGIS’s oversight functions and powers in order to strengthen the integrity of inquiry processes.

The Committee requests submissions to the inquiry by Friday 12 February 2021.

Prospective submitters are advised that any submission to the Committee’s inquiry must be prepared solely for the inquiry and should not be published prior to being accepted by the Committee.

Further information about making a submission to a committee inquiry can be found at the following link.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

ends