Law Council advocates for a clearer mandate and stronger safeguards in proposed ACIC reforms
19 August 2026
On 30 July 2026, the Law Council made a submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) review of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission reform package — a significant reform of the legislation setting out the powers and functions of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC). The ACIC Bill proposes to reconstitute the ACIC as a criminal intelligence agency, with its significant powers to remain focused primarily on serious and organised crime. It would replace the existing legislative framework, under which the ACIC combines law enforcement and intelligence functions, with a model under which it operates entirely as a criminal intelligence agency.
Our submission offers in-principle support for clarifying the mandate of the ACIC, as the existing combination of law enforcement and intelligence powers is not satisfactory. Our submission recommended additional work to ensure that key definitions were sufficiently clear and certain, appropriate and necessary to effect the proposed changes.
On 3 August, representatives from the Law Council’s National Criminal Law Committee and National Security Law Working Group appeared at a public hearing of the PJCIS to give evidence relating to our submission. Committee members sought the Law Council’s views on derivative use immunities, improving the qualifications provisions for examiners, and ensuring that lawyers could provide robust representation of their clients under examination. In addition to recommendations to refine and clarify the purpose of the ACIC, our submission also made detailed recommendations to improve the operation, safeguards and oversight of the powerful and extraordinary tools at the ACIC’s disposal to investigate serious and sophisticated criminal enterprises.
The Law Council will continue to engage with the Parliament as it considers the Bill and will keep stakeholders informed of material developments.
Last Updated on 18/08/2026
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