NEW S.A. TERRORISM LAWS

Premier Mike Rann has recently outlined new and updated measures to counter the threat of terrorism in South Australia

These include the setting up of a co-ordinated CCTV Register and introducing new laws to give police special new emergency powers.

“The Police Powers (Prevention and Response to Terrorism) Bill will close the gaps in our existing laws that deal with terrorism. In the event of a terrorist incident or threat, this legislation will give the Police Commissioner, in concurrence with the Police Minister, authorisation to use additional extraordinary powers for a defined period.

The extraordinary powers will in prescribed circumstances allow police to:

• require a person who is identified as a threat to provide proof of their identity.
• search a person who is a threat or is with such a person in suspicious circumstances
• search vehicles connected with a threat
• search premises that may be connected with the threat.
• prevent entry or exit from an area which is the subject of a threat or an attack.

The period of the authorisation of these powers will be strictly limited and may be revoked at any time by the Police Commissioner or Police Minister.

The Bill proposes a period of seven days in the case of an imminent terrorist attack and 24 hours for the investigation for a terrorist attack that has occurred.

Following the incident, the Police Commissioner will be required to report to the Attorney General on the reason for invoking the authorisation, the extraordinary powers used, how they were used and result of the use of those powers. The Attorney General will then be required to report to the Parliament.

“We expect this legislation to be an important weapon in our arsenal against terrorism" said Mr Rann..

“The Government is now also considering the adoption of legislation to impose restraint orders preventing individuals from addressing gatherings or otherwise disseminating material which deliberately incites terrorism and mass murder."

“To be effective, such restraint orders must be adopted nationally which is why I intend to raise this with other Australian government leaders at COAG (Council Of Australian Governments). In the meantime, the Government has already invested heavily in CCTV and we are prepared to put more money into this important area."

“We want to establish a State Register for CCTV to assist police in crime prevention and detection and we will be examining its laws of evidence to ensure that this type of material is more easily acceptable as evidence in court cases. The SA Government has already funded CCTV for the public transport system in key areas of vulnerability."

“We will be further analysing our current mass passenger transport coverage to see if this is adequate and looking carefully at other high priority places where there might be crowds of people, such as transport interchanges. Video surveillance coverage of the metropolitan area is provided by about 50 cameras installed by the Adelaide City Council and 350 cameras installed on the rail and bus networks."

Last week at a meeting of the Capital City Committee, Mr Rann proposed to the Lord Mayor of Adelaide and Councillors and Ministers that the Committee sponsor a review of CCTV usage in public places within the City of Adelaide.

Mr Rann says that while he largely supports the thrust of the legislation being proposed by the Prime Minister for the special Council Of Australian Governments meeting, he is aware that some of the control orders and preventative detention are highly controversial.

^ Top