The Australian Government announced on 5 August 2014 that it will  introduce a suite of counter-terrorism measures to provide security agencies the resources and legislative powers needed to combat terrorism, whether within Australia or carried out by Australians overseas.

In addition to legislative measures to toughen national security laws, the Government has stated its intention to ‘update’ Australia’s  telecommunication  interception law while balancing the new powers with ‘proper oversight to protect the individual rights of Australians, including their right to privacy’, by increasing resources of the independent Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (1).

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Authors: Alison Choy Flannigan, Partner and Joann Yap, Solicitor
August 2014

(1) Prime Minister’s Office, New Counter-Terrorism Measures for a Safer Australia(5 August 2014) http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-08-05/new-counter-terrorism-measures-saferaustralia-0 (8 August 2014).