Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated ActsAct No. 12 of 1902 as amended
This compilation was prepared on 19 April 2011
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 5 of 2011
The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section
The operation of
amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section
Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and
Publishing,
Attorney-General's Department, Canberra
Contents
1............ Short title [see Note 1] ........................................................................ 1
1A......... Power to issue Royal Commission ..................................................... 1
1B......... Definitions .......................................................................................... 1
1C......... Application of the Criminal Code ....................................................... 2
2............ Power to summon witnesses and take evidence .................................. 3
3............ Failure of witnesses to attend or produce documents .......................... 4
4............ Search warrants ................................................................................... 5
5............ Application by telephone for search warrants ..................................... 7
6............ Penalty for refusing to be sworn or to give evidence .......................... 7
6AA...... Legal professional privilege ................................................................ 8
6AB...... Offences relating to claims for legal professional privilege ................. 9
6A......... Self incrimination .............................................................................. 10
6B......... Arrest of witness failing to appear .................................................... 10
6C......... Acts or omissions on different days to constitute separate offences .. 11
6D......... Rights of witness .............................................................................. 11
6DD...... Statements made by witness not admissible in evidence against the witness 12
6F.......... Power of Commission in relation to documents and other things ..... 12
6FA....... Examination of witnesses by counsel etc. ......................................... 13
6G......... Witness to be paid expenses .............................................................. 13
6H......... False or misleading evidence ............................................................. 14
6I........... Bribery of witness ............................................................................. 14
6J.......... Fraud on witness ............................................................................... 15
6K......... Destroying documents or other things .............................................. 16
6L.......... Preventing witness from attending .................................................... 17
6M........ Injury to witness ............................................................................... 17
6N......... Dismissal by employers of witness ................................................... 17
6O......... Contempt of Royal Commission ....................................................... 18
6P.......... Commission may communicate information ..................................... 18
7............ Protection to Commissioners etc. ...................................................... 20
7AA...... Commission may have concurrent functions and powers under State laws 20
7A......... Effect of Royal Commissioner having authority to inquire under foreign law 21
7B......... Commission may take evidence outside Australia ............................. 22
7C......... Statements made by witness not admissible in evidence against the witness 22
7D......... Certain evidence before a State Commission inadmissible in Commonwealth proceedings 22
8............ Allowances to witnesses ................................................................... 23
9............ Custody and use of records of Royal Commission ........................... 24
10.......... Institution of proceedings in respect of other offences ...................... 29
15.......... Costs ................................................................................................. 30
16.......... Evidence of issue of Commission etc. ............................................... 30
17.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 31
Notes 33
An Act relating to Royal Commissions
Notes to
the
Royal Commissions Act 1902 Note 1 The Royal Commissions Act 1902 as shown in this
compilation comprises Act No. 12,
1902 amended as indicated in the Tables below. All relevant information pertaining to application, saving or
transitional provisions prior to 21 June 2001 is not included in this
compilation. For subsequent
information see Table A. Table of Acts
|
Act |
Number |
Date |
Date of commencement |
Application, saving or transitional provisions |
|
|
12, 1902 |
8 Sept 1902 |
8 Sept 1902 |
|
||
|
Royal Commissions Act 1912 |
4, 1912 |
19 Aug 1912 |
19 Aug 1912 |
S. 10 |
|
|
Royal Commissions Act 1933 |
1, 1933 |
27 May 1933 |
27 May 1933 |
-- |
|
|
Statute Law Revision (Decimal Currency) Act 1966 |
93, 1966 |
29 Oct 1966 |
1 Dec 1966 |
-- |
|
|
Statute Law Revision Act 1973 |
216, 1973 |
19 Dec 1973 |
31 Dec 1973 |
Ss. 9(1) and 10 |
|
|
36, 1978 |
12 June 1978 |
12 June 1978 |
S. 8 |
||
|
19, 1979 |
28 Mar 1979 |
Parts II-XVII (ss. 3-123): 15 May 1979 (see Gazette 1979, No. S86) |
S. 124 |
||
|
26, 1982 |
7 May 1982 |
Part XXXIV (ss. 201-204): Royal Assent (a) |
-- |
||
|
139, 1982 |
24 Dec 1982 |
1 Feb 1983 (see Gazette 1983, No. S17) |
S. 8(2) (ad. by No. 91, 1983) |
||
|
as amended by |
|
|
|
|
|
|
91, 1983 |
22 Nov 1983 |
(b) |
Ss. 2(14) and 6(1) |
||
|
91, 1983 |
22 Nov 1983 |
S. 3: 20 Dec 1983 (c) |
S. 6(1) |
||
|
Director of Public Prosecutions (Consequential Amendments) Act 1983 |
114, 1983 |
14 Dec 1983 |
Part XIII (ss. |
-- |
|
|
National Crime Authority (Consequential Amendments) Act 1984 |
42, 1984 |
15 June 1984 |
1 July 1984 (see s. 2 and Gazette 1984, No. S245) |
-- |
|
|
120, 1987 |
16 Dec 1987 |
Part IX (ss. 51, 52): Royal Assent (e) |
-- |
||
|
Prime Minister and Cabinet (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994 |
33, 1994 |
15 Mar 1994 |
Ss. 53-56: Royal Assent (f) |
-- |
|
|
Prime Minister and Cabinet Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 |
49, 2001 |
21 June 2001 |
19 July 2001 |
S. 4 [see Table A] |
|
|
166, 2001 |
1 Oct 2001 |
1 Oct 2001 |
-- |
||
|
125, 2002 |
10 Dec 2002 |
Sch. 2 (items |
-- |
||
|
52, 2006 |
14 June 2006 |
Schedule 1: 15 June 2006 |
Sch. 1 (item 9) [see Table A] |
||
|
Law Enforcement Integrity Commissioner (Consequential Amendments) Act 2006 |
86, 2006 |
30 June 2006 |
Schedule 1 (items 57-59): 30 Dec 2006 |
-- |
|
|
167, 2006 |
12 Dec 2006 |
12 Dec 2006 |
Sch. 1 (item 3) [see Table A] |
||
|
73, 2008 |
3 July 2008 |
Schedule 4 (items 452-463): 4 July 2008 |
-- |
||
|
Statute Law Revision Act 2011 |
5, 2011 |
22 Mar 2011 |
Schedule 5 (items 184-187): 19 Apr 2011 |
-- |
|
(a) The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by Part XXXIV (sections 201-204) only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act (No. 1) 1982, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:
(1) Sections 1 and 2 and Parts VIII and XXXIV shall come into operation on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.
(b) The Royal Commissions Amendment Act 1982 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1983, subsection 2(12) of which provides as follows:
(12) The amendment of section 8 of the Royal Commissions Amendment Act 1982 made by this Act shall be deemed to have come into operation on 1 February 1983.
(c) The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act (No. 2) 1983, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:
(1) Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the twenty-eighth day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
(d) The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by Part XIII (sections 28-31) only of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Consequential Amendments) Act 1983, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:
(1) Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation, or shall be deemed to have come into operation, as the case requires, on the day on which the Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 comes into operation.
(e) The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by Part IX (sections 51 and 52) only of the Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 1987, subsection 2(2) of which provides as follows:
(2) Parts II, VI, VII, VIII (other than section 47) and IX and Schedule 4 shall come into operation on the day on which this Act receives the Royal Assent.
(f) The Royal Commissions Act 1902 was amended by sections 53-56 only of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:
(1) Except for subsection 15(1), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.
Table of Amendments
|
ad. = added or inserted am. = amended rep. = repealed rs. = repealed and substituted |
|
|
Provision affected |
How affected |
|
S. 1A................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 1B................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 139, 1982; No. 33, 1994; No. 125, 2002; No. 52, 2006; No. 5, 2011 |
|
S. 1C................................... |
ad. No. 49, 2001 |
|
S. 2...................................... |
am. No. 4, 1912; No. 216, 1973 |
|
|
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. No. 166, 2001; No. 52, 2006; No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 3...................................... |
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
Note to s. 3(3).................... |
ad. No. 49, 2001 |
|
S. 4...................................... |
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 5...................................... |
am. No. 4, 1912; No. 93, 1966 |
|
|
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6...................................... |
am. No. 4, 1912; No. 93, 1966; No. 139, 1982; No. 49, 2001 |
|
Ss. 6AA, 6AB...................... |
ad. No. 52, 2005 |
|
S. 6A................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. No. 49, 2001 |
|
|
rs. No. 166, 2001 |
|
|
am. No. 52, 2006 |
|
S. 6B................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 139, 1982; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 6C................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6D................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 1, 1933; No. 93, 1966; No. 139, 1982; Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
Heading to s. 6DD............. |
am. No. 49, 2001 |
|
S. 6DD................................ |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rs. No. 26, 1982; No. 166, 2001 |
|
|
am. No. 52, 2006 |
|
S. 6E................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 93, 1966 |
|
|
rep. No. 139, 1982 |
|
S. 6F................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 1, 1933 |
|
|
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. Nos. 91 and 114, 1983; No. 42, 1984; No. 33, 1994; No. 166, 2001; Nos. 52, 86 and 167, 2006; No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 6FA................................. |
ad. No. 1, 1933 |
|
|
am. No. 139, 1982 |
|
S. 6G................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 6H................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. No. 49, 2001 |
|
S. 6I..................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001; No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 6J.................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6K................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rs. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6L.................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6M................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 93, 1966; No. 49, 2001 |
|
|
rs. No. 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6N .................................. |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 93, 1966; Nos. 49 and 166, 2001 |
|
S. 6O................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 93, 1966; No. 19, 1979; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008 |
|
S. 6P................................... |
ad. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. Nos. 91 and 114, 1983; No. 42, 1984; No. 33, 1994; No. 166, 2001; No. 125, 2002; No. 86, 2006 |
|
S. 7...................................... |
am. No. 4, 1912; No. 139, 1982; No. 49, 2001 |
|
S. 7AA................................. |
ad. No. 139, 1982 |
|
|
am. No. 49, 2001 |
|
Ss. 7A, 7B........................... |
ad. No. 26, 1982 |
|
Heading to s. 7C............... |
am. No. 49, 2001 |
|
S. 7C................................... |
ad. No. 26, 1982 |
|
S. 7D................................... |
ad. No. 120, 1987 |
|
S. 8...................................... |
am. No. 36, 1978; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008; No. 5, 2011 |
|
S. 9...................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rep. No. 13, 1982 |
|
|
ad. No. 167, 2006 |
|
Heading preceding s. 10.. |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
S. 10.................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 19, 1979; No. 114, 1983 |
|
S. 11.................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rep. No. 19, 1979 |
|
Ss. 12-14............................ |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
rep. No. 139, 1982 |
|
S. 15.................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
S. 16.................................... |
ad. No. 4, 1912 |
|
|
am. No. 26, 1982; No. 49, 2001; No. 73, 2008; No. 5, 2011 |
|
S. 17.................................... |
ad. No. 139, 1982 |
Table A
Application, saving or transitional provisions
Prime Minister and Cabinet Legislation Amendment (Application of Criminal Code) Act 2001 (No. 49, 2001)
(1) Each amendment made by this Act applies to acts and omissions that take place after the amendment commences.
(2) For the purposes of this section, if an act or omission is alleged to have taken place between 2 dates, one before and one on or after the day on which a particular amendment commences, the act or omission is alleged to have taken place before the amendment commences.
Royal Commissions Amendment Act 2006 (No. 52, 2006)
Schedule 1
9 Application of amendments
The amendments made by this Schedule apply, after the commencement of this Schedule, in relation to the proceedings of any Commission after that commencement, whether the Commission was established before or after that commencement.
Royal Commissions Amendment (Records) Act 2006 (No. 167, 2006)
Schedule 1
3 Application of amendments
The amendments made by this Schedule apply to the Royal Commission records of a Royal Commission even if the Royal Commission was established and reported before the commencement of this Act.