Overview

On 12 November 2015, the Attorney-General, Senator the Hon George Brandis QC, introduced the Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill (No. 1) 2015 (the Bill) into the Senate.

In his second reading speech, the Attorney-General stated that:

The measures introduced in this Bill reflect lessons learned from recent counter-terrorism investigations and operational activity. The Bill also gives effect to a number of recommendations from the Council of Australian Governments Review of Counter-Terrorism Legislation.

The Bill seeks to maintain a careful balance between enhancing our law enforcement capabilities and protecting individual rights. The provisions set out in this Bill include a range of safeguards that also complement the suite of counter-terrorism measures introduced by this government in 2014.

On the same day, the Attorney-General wrote to the Committee to refer the provisions of the Bill for inquiry and report by 15 February 2016. The Attorney-General requested that the Committee should, as far as possible, conduct its inquiry in public.