Crimes Act. Australia
as the Commonwealth and the owner or user agree on.
(3) However, if the owner or user and the Commonwealth fail to agree, the owner or user may institute proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction for such reasonable amount of compensation as the court determines.
(4) In determining the amount of compensation payable, regard is to be had to whether any of the following persons, if they were available at the time, provided any appropriate warning or guidance on the operation of the equipment:
(a) if the equipment was operated under a warrant issued in relation to premises — the occupier of the premises, or the occupier’s employees or agents;
(b) if the equipment was operated under a warrant issued in relation to a person — that person, or that person’s agents.
(5) Compensation is payable out of money appropriated by the Parliament.
(6) For the purposes of subsection (1):
damage, in relation to data, includes damage by erasure of data or addition of other data.
3N Copies of seized things to be provided
(1) Subject to subsection (2), if a constable seizes, under a warrant relating to premises:
(a) a document, film, computer file or other thing that can be readily copied; or
(b) a storage device the information in which can be readily copied;
the constable must, if requested to do so by the occupier of the premises or another person who apparently represents the occupier and who is present when the warrant is executed, give a copy of the thing or the information to that person as soon as practicable after the seizure.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if:
(a) the thing that has been seized was seized under subsection 3L(1A) or paragraph 3L(2)(b) or 3LAA(4)(b); or
(b) possession by the occupier of the document, film, computer file, thing or information could constitute an offence.
3P Occupier entitled to be present during search
(1) If a warrant in relation to premises is being executed and the occupier of the premises or another person who apparently represents the occupier is present at the premises, the person is, subject to Part IC, entitled to observe the search being conducted.
(2) The right to observe the search being conducted ceases if the person impedes the search.
(3) This section does not prevent 2 or more areas of the premises being searched at the same time.
3Q Receipts for things seized under warrant
(1) If a thing is seized under a warrant or moved under subsection 3K(2), the executing officer or a constable assisting must provide a receipt for the thing.
(2) If 2 or more things are seized or moved, they may be covered in the one receipt.
3R Warrants by telephone or other electronic means
(1) A constable may make an application to an issuing officer for a warrant by telephone, telex, facsimile or other electronic means:
(a) in an urgent case; or
(b) if the delay that would occur if an application were made in person would frustrate the effective execution of the warrant.
(2) The issuing officer:
(a) may require communication by voice to the extent that it is practicable in the circumstances; and
(b) may make a recording of the whole or any part of any such communication by voice.
(3) An application under this section must include all information required to be provided in an ordinary application for a warrant, but the application may, if necessary, be made before the information is sworn.
(4) If an application is made to an issuing officer under this section and the issuing officer, after considering the information and having received and considered such further information (if any) as the issuing officer required, is satisfied that:
(a) a warrant in the terms of the application should be issued urgently; or
(b) the delay that would occur if an application were made in person would frustrate the effective execution of the warrant;
the issuing officer may complete and sign the same form of warrant that would be issued under section 3E.
(5) If the issuing officer decides to issue the warrant, the issuing officer is to inform the applicant, by telephone, telex, facsimile or other electronic means, of the terms of the warrant and the day on which and the time at which it was signed.
(6) The applicant must then complete a form of warrant in terms substantially corresponding to those given by the issuing officer, stating on the form the name of the issuing officer and the day on which and the time at which the warrant was signed.
(7) The applicant must, not later than the day after the day of expiry of the warrant or the day after the day on which the warrant was executed, whichever is the earlier, give or transmit to the issuing officer the form of warrant completed by the applicant and, if the information referred to in subsection (3) was not sworn, that information duly sworn.
(8) The issuing officer is to attach to the documents provided under subsection (7) the form of warrant completed by the issuing officer.
(9) If:
(a) it is material, in any proceedings, for a court to be satisfied that the exercise of a power under a warrant issued under this section was duly authorised; and
(b) the form of warrant signed by the issuing officer is not produced in evidence;
the court is to assume, unless the contrary is proved, that the exercise of the power was not duly authorised.
3S Restrictions on personal searches
A warrant cannot authorise a strip search or a search of a person’s body cavities.
Division 3
Stopping and searching conveyances
3T Searches without warrant in emergency situations
(1) This section applies if a constable suspects, on reasonable grounds, that:
(a) a thing relevant to an indictable offence is in or on a conveyance; and
(b) it is necessary to exercise a power under subsection (2) in order to prevent the thing from being concealed, lost or destroyed; and
(c) it is necessary to exercise the power without the authority of a search warrant because the circumstances are serious and urgent.
(2) The constable may:
(a) stop and detain the conveyance; and
(b) search the conveyance and any container in or on the conveyance, for the thing; and
(c) seize the thing if he or she finds it there.
(3) If, in the course of searching for the thing, the constable finds another thing relevant to an indictable offence or a thing relevant to a summary offence, the constable may seize that thing if he or she suspects, on reasonable grounds, that:
(a) it is necessary to seize it in order to prevent its concealment, loss or destruction; and
(b) it is necessary to seize it without the authority of a search warrant because the circumstances are serious and urgent.
(4) The constable must exercise his or her powers subject to section 3U.
3U How a constable exercises a power under section 3T
When a constable exercises a power under section 3T in relation to a conveyance,