Law Council questions need for broad surveillance powers

11/03/2021

The Law Council of Australia appreciates the need for law enforcement agencies to have robust powers especially to counter cyber-enabled offences, such as serious and harmful crimes carried out online, like child exploitation and terrorism.

But if passed, the three new warrant-based powers proposed in the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identity and Disrupt) Bill 2020, will fundamentally alter Australia’s criminal intelligence framework, and potentially reach into and disrupt the lives of innocent bystanders, said Law Council President Dr Jacoba Brasch QC in a media release today.

The Law Council's media release is available here.