"DRAG-NET BILL"
OFFICIAL SECRETS
INTEGRITY OF FORCES
AUSTRALIAN ACTION
(From "The Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, October 4,
Measures to protect defence and other official secrets are contained in a drag-net Bill amending the Crimes Act, notice of which was given in the Senate this week.
The new Bill provides drastic penal-1 ties for offences, including life imprisonment for a person or £1000 fine for a body corporate found guilty of inciting the naval or military forces to mutiny. / Based on the Imperial Official Secrets Act, which was amended extensively in 1920, the Bill embodies most of its .provisions.
It is proposed to make it an ofllence for any person to use any information in his possession regarding any prohibited place, such as a,dockyard or a munition factory, for the benefit of any foreign Power, or to communicate any information relating to munitions of war to any such Power. It will also be an offence to gain admission or assist; any person to gain admission to a prohibited place by misuse of a uniform, false statements, tampering with official documents, impersonating an official, or misusing , an official seal. ■" . v . • ' Provision is made giving the Attor-ney-General power to require the production of wireless or telegraph messages received from or sent overseas by apparatus owned by private ' persons or companies where h.e is satisfied such production is'in the public interest. The publisher of any book, pamphlet, or newspaper ■• containing matter calculated to incite members of the forces to mutiny shall be liable tc a fine of £500 or imprisonment for two years. • Important modifications .of the law affecting unlawful associations are proposed. ' Under section ,30 of the Crimes Act action may be taken to compel any person to answer questions where the AttomeyrGeneral believes that that person has information or documents relating to an unlawful association. Its operation will be limited to cases where a police stipendiary or a special Magistrate is satisfied by information on oath that the person has such documents. Part lla of the Crimes Act contains provisions relating to unlawful associations, industrial disputes, etc., and it is. proposed that- offences against this part shall not be prosecuted without- the consent of the At-torney-General, or of some person authorised toy him.
"DRAG-NET BILL"
Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 91, 14 October 1935, Page 8
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