Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS ACT 1987 - SECT 19

  (1)   Where a person is in Australia:

  (a)   pursuant to a request under section   16; or

  (b)   to give evidence in a proceeding, or to give assistance in relation to an investigation, pursuant to a request made by or on behalf of the Attorney - General (not being a request under section   16) for international assistance in a criminal matter;

the person, subject to subsection   (2), shall not:

  (c)   be detained, prosecuted or punished in Australia for any offence that is alleged to have been committed, or that was committed, before the person's departure from the foreign country pursuant to the request;

  (d)   be subjected to any civil suit in respect of any act or omission of the person that is alleged to have occurred, or that occurred, before the person's departure from the foreign country pursuant to the request, being a civil suit to which the person could not be subjected if the person were not in Australia;

  (e)   be required to give evidence in any proceeding in Australia other than the proceeding to which the request relates (if any).

  (f)   be required, in the proceeding to which the request relates (if any), to answer any question that the person would not be required to answer in a proceeding in the foreign country relating to a criminal matter; or

  (g)   be required, in the proceeding to which the request relates (if any), to produce any document or article that the person would not be required to produce in a proceeding in the foreign country relating to a criminal matter.

  (1A)   A duly authorised foreign law immunity certificate is admissible in proceedings as prima facie evidence of the matters stated in the certificate.

  (2)   Subsection   (1) ceases to apply to a person if:

  (a)   the person has left Australia; or

  (b)   the person has had the opportunity of leaving Australia and has remained in Australia otherwise than for:

  (i)   the purpose to which the request relates;

  (ii)   the purpose of giving evidence in a proceeding in Australia certified by the Attorney - General, in writing, to be a proceeding in which it is desirable that the person give evidence; or

  (iii)   the purpose of giving assistance in relation to an investigation in Australia certified by the Attorney - General, in writing, to be an investigation in relation to which it is desirable that the person give assistance.

  (2A)   Paragraph   (1)(f) or (g) does not apply in a case where its application would be inconsistent with a provision of a mutual assistance treaty between Australia and the foreign country concerned.

  (3)   A certificate given by the Attorney - General for the purposes of subparagraph   (2)(b)(ii) or (iii) has effect from the day specified in the certificate (which may be a day before the day on which the certificate is given).

  (4)   This section binds the Crown in right of the Commonwealth and of each of the States.