Law and order legislation in the Australian States and Territories, 1999-2002: a comparative survey

This Briefing Paper is an update to an earlier paper Law and order legislation in the Australian States and Territories, 1995-1998: a comparative survey released by the Parliamentary Library in 1999. It provides an overview of various statutes enacted in each state and territory on the theme of law and order between 1999 and 2002. It does not review federal legislation other than to note its influence on the passage of a particular Act in a state or territory.

A brief overview of the influence of law and order issues on politics is provided (page 1) and the latest trends to have emerged regarding the rate of crime are highlighted (page 2). The paper then proceeds to review, in alphabetical order and by year, relevant legislation passed between 1999 and 2002 in New South Wales (pages 4-19), Queensland (pages 20-25), South Australia (pages 25-30), Tasmania (pages 30-35), Victoria (pages 35-41), Western Australia (pages 41-45), Australian Capital Territory (pages 45-51) and Northern Territory (pages 51-59). A comprehensive review of each statute is not provided as is beyond the scope of this paper, but the major effects are noted. Reference is made throughout to briefing papers that contain further information on a particular statute where relevant.

Finally, the trends in law and order that have emerged since 1999 are summarised (page 60) and note is made of the areas in which future development of the criminal law is likely (page 63).