Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill combats identity theft and drug laws

The recently introduced Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious Drugs, Identity Crime and Other Measures) Bill 2012 (Cth) has proposed to strengthen existing laws to ensure criminal law is respsonsive to to new and emerging threats. The Bill focuses on establishing a new framework to list newly illegal substances in regulations and the expansion of police powers in relation to air travel and false identity.

The new new Bill will move the existing lists of illicit substances from the Criminal Code to Regulations and improve existing mechanisms for making emergency determinations in relation to particular substances. The move to Regulations is thought to make the list quicker to update and respond to new substances, ensuring organised crime groups and individuals can not exploit loopholes created when the lists of controlled drugs do not keep pace with the market for illicit substances.

The Bill also lists a series of new offences in relation to using a false identity to book a flight or board a plane. The maximum penalty for the offences will be 12 months imprisonment. Powers will be given to police to request evidence of a person's identity.

The Bill is in align with Government's agenda to combat serious and organised crime and corruption. Currently the Senate Selection Committee has referred the Bill to the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee for inquiry and report by 19 November 2012.

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