The Intelligence Services Amendment Act 2004 was passed by the
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament) is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the Monarchy of Australia, monarch of Australia (repr ...
on 1 April 2004
[
] as an amendment to the
Intelligence Services Act 2001
The Intelligence Services Act 2001 (ISA) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia, which made significant changes to the Australian Intelligence Community (AIC). The bill was introduced into Parliament on 27 June 2001 by then Minister for Foreign ...
(ISA) to grant controversial new powers to the
Australian Secret Intelligence Service
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS ) is the foreign intelligence agency of the Commonwealth of Australia, responsible for gathering, processing, and analysing national security information from around the world, primarily throug ...
. The bill reverses ISA prohibitions on ASIS operatives carrying
firearm
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originate ...
s and allows ASIS to work with foreign intelligence agencies to carry out
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
and violent activities provided ASIS is not involved in the execution of the operations.
The ''Intelligence Services Amendment Bill 2003'' was introduced into Parliament on 15 October 2003 by Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who was leader of the Liberal Party from 1994 to 1995, Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1996 to 2007, and High Commissioner to the United Ki ...
, as an amendment to ISA. The Bill sought to amend ISA to allow ASIS to be involved in the planning and undertaking of
paramilitary
A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934.
Overview
Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
or violent activities ''by others'', and provide, train with, and use weapons and self-defence techniques ''in certain circumstances'' (that is, where the responsible minister deems the circumstances suitable).
[ The Bill proposed to allow ASIS to work with other organisations (such as the ]CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...
or MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
) in paramilitary operations, provided ASIS staff and agents were not personally involved in carrying them out.
See also
Legislation
*Intelligence Services Act 2001
The Intelligence Services Act 2001 (ISA) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia, which made significant changes to the Australian Intelligence Community (AIC). The bill was introduced into Parliament on 27 June 2001 by then Minister for Foreign ...
Intelligence agencies
*Australian Security Intelligence Organisation
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO ) is the Intelligence agency, domestic intelligence and national security agency of the Australian Government, responsible for protection from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign inte ...
(ASIO)
*Australian Secret Intelligence Service
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS ) is the foreign intelligence agency of the Commonwealth of Australia, responsible for gathering, processing, and analysing national security information from around the world, primarily throug ...
(ASIS)
*Australian Signals Directorate
The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), formerly the Defence Signals Directorate, is a statutory agency of the Government of Australia responsible for signals intelligence, providing intelligence support to Australian military operations, con ...
(ASD)
References
2004 in Australian law
Australian intelligence agencies
Acts of the Parliament of Australia
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