Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious and Organised Crime) Act (No. 2) 2010 (4 of 2010)

Schedule 2   Search warrants

Part 2   Use of equipment under warrant

Crimes Act 1914

20   Section 3LA

Repeal the section, substitute:

3LAA Use of electronic equipment at other place

(1) If electronic equipment found at the warrant premises is moved to another place under subsection 3K(2), the executing officer or a constable assisting may operate the equipment to access data (including data held at another place).

(2) If the executing officer or constable assisting suspects on reasonable grounds that any data accessed by operating the electronic equipment constitutes evidential material, he or she may copy any or all of the data accessed by operating the electronic equipment to a disk, tape or other associated device.

(3) If the Commissioner is satisfied that the data is not required (or is no longer required) for a purpose mentioned in section 3ZQU or for other judicial or administrative review proceedings, the Commissioner must arrange for:

(a) the removal of the data from any device in the control of the Australian Federal Police; and

(b) the destruction of any other reproduction of the data in the control of the Australian Federal Police.

(4) If the executing officer or a constable assisting, after operating the equipment, finds that evidential material is accessible by doing so, he or she may:

(a) seize the equipment and any disk, tape or other associated device; or

(b) if the material can be put in documentary form - put the material in that form and seize the documents so produced.

(5) A constable may seize equipment under paragraph (4)(a) only if:

(a) it is not practicable to copy the data as mentioned in subsection (2) or to put the material in documentary form as mentioned in paragraph (4)(b); or

(b) possession by the occupier of the equipment could constitute an offence.

3LA Person with knowledge of a computer or a computer system to assist access etc.

(1) A constable may apply to a magistrate for an order requiring a specified person to provide any information or assistance that is reasonable and necessary to allow a constable to do one or more of the following:

(a) access data held in, or accessible from, a computer or data storage device that:

(i) is on warrant premises; or

(ii) has been removed from warrant premises under subsection 3K(2) and is at another place for examination or processing; or

(iii) has been seized under this Division and is no longer on the warrant premises;

(b) copy data held in, or accessible from, a computer, or data storage device, described in paragraph (a) to another data storage device;

(c) convert into documentary form or another form intelligible to a constable:

(i) data held in, or accessible from, a computer, or data storage device, described in paragraph (a); or

(ii) data held in a data storage device to which the data was copied as described in paragraph (b); or

(iii) data held in a data storage device removed from warrant premises under subsection 3L(1A).

(2) The magistrate may grant the order if the magistrate is satisfied that:

(a) there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that evidential material is held in, or is accessible from, the computer or data storage device; and

(b) the specified person is:

(i) reasonably suspected of having committed the offence stated in the relevant warrant; or

(ii) the owner or lessee of the computer or device; or

(iii) an employee of the owner or lessee of the computer or device; or

(iv) a person engaged under a contract for services by the owner or lessee of the computer or device; or

(v) a person who uses or has used the computer or device; or

(vi) a person who is or was a system administrator for the system including the computer or device; and

(c) the specified person has relevant knowledge of:

(i) the computer or device or a computer network of which the computer or device forms or formed a part; or

(ii) measures applied to protect data held in, or accessible from, the computer or device.

(3) If:

(a) the computer or data storage device that is the subject of the order is seized under this Division; and

(b) the order was granted on the basis of an application made before the seizure;

the order does not have effect on or after the seizure.

Note: An application for another order under this section relating to the computer or data storage device may be made after the seizure. If the other order is made after the computer or device has been removed from the warrant premises, that other order can specify conditions relating to the provision of information or assistance.

(4) If the computer or data storage device is not on warrant premises, the order must:

(a) specify the period within which the person must provide the information or assistance; and

(b) specify the place at which the person must provide the information or assistance; and

(c) specify the conditions (if any) determined by the magistrate as the conditions to which the requirement on the person to provide the information or assistance is subject.

(5) A person commits an offence if the person fails to comply with the order.

Penalty for contravention of this subsection: Imprisonment for 2 years.