Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated ActsGeneral types of serious offences
(1) An offence is a serious offence if it is:
(a) a murder, or an offence of a kind equivalent to murder; or
(b) a kidnapping, or an offence of a kind equivalent to kidnapping; or
(c) an offence against Division 307 of the Criminal Code ; or
(d) an offence constituted by conduct involving an act or acts of terrorism; or
(e) an offence against:
(i) Subdivision A of Division 72 of the Criminal Code ; or
(ia) Subdivision B of Division 80 of the Criminal Code ; or
(ib) section 80.2C of the Criminal Code ; or
(ic) Division 82 of the Criminal Code (sabotage); or
(id) Division 83 of the Criminal Code (other threats to security); or
(ie) Division 91 of the Criminal Code (espionage); or
(if) Division 92 of the Criminal Code (foreign interference); or
(ig) Division 92A of the Criminal Code (theft of trade secrets involving foreign government principal); or
(ii) Division 101 of the Criminal Code ; or
(iii) Division 102 of the Criminal Code ; or
(iv) Division 103 of the Criminal Code ; or
(v) section 104.27 of the Criminal Code ; or
(va) section 105A.18A of the Criminal Code ; or
(vi) Division 119 of the Criminal Code ; or
(vii) Division 122 of the Criminal Code (secrecy of information); or
(viii) section 137.1A of the Criminal Code (aggravated offence for giving false or misleading information); or
(f) except for the purposes of an application for a warrant by an agency other than the ACC, an offence in relation to which the ACC is conducting a special ACC investigation.
(2) An offence is also a serious offence if:
(a) it is an offence punishable by imprisonment for life or for a period, or maximum period, of at least 7 years; and
(b) the particular conduct constituting the offence involved, involves or would involve, as the case requires:
(i) loss of a person's life or serious risk of loss of a person's life; or
(ii) serious personal injury or serious risk of serious personal injury; or
(iii) serious damage to property in circumstances endangering the safety of a person; or
(iiia) serious arson; or
(iv) trafficking in prescribed substances; or
(v) serious fraud; or
(vi) serious loss to the revenue of the Commonwealth, a State or the Australian Capital Territory; or
(vii) bribery or corruption of, or by:
(A) an officer of the Commonwealth; or
(B) an officer of a State; or
(C) an officer of a Territory; or
Offences involving planning and organisation
(3) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence punishable by imprisonment for life or for a period, or maximum period, of at least 7 years, where the offence:
(a) involves 2 or more offenders and substantial planning and organisation; and
(b) involves, or is of a kind that ordinarily involves, the use of sophisticated methods and techniques; and
(c) is committed, or is of a kind that is ordinarily committed, in conjunction with other offences of a like kind; and
(d) consists of, or involves, any of the following:
(i) theft;
(ii) handling of stolen goods;
(iii) tax evasion;
(iv) currency violations;
(v) extortion;
(vi) bribery or corruption of, or by:
(A) an officer of the Commonwealth; or
(B) an officer of a State; or
(C) an officer of a Territory;
(vii) bankruptcy violations;
(viii) company violations;
(ix) harbouring criminals;
(x) dealings in firearms or armaments;
(xi) a sexual offence against a person who is under 16;
(xii) an immigration offence.
Offences relating to criminal groups
(3AA) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against section 93T of the Crimes Act 1900 of New South Wales.
Offences relating to people smuggling, slavery, sexual servitude, deceptive recruiting and trafficking in persons etc.
(3A) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against:
(a) any of the following provisions of the Criminal Code :
(i) section 73.1, 73.2, 73.3, 73.3A, 73.8, 73.9, 73.10 or 73.11;
(ii) section 270.3, 270.5, 270.6A, 270.7, 270.7B or 270.7C (slavery or slavery - like offences);
(iii) section 271.2, 271.3, 271.4, 271.5, 271.6 or 271.7 (trafficking in persons);
(iv) section 271.7B, 271.7C, 271.7D or 271.7E (organ trafficking);
(v) section 271.7F or 271.7G (harbouring victims); or
(b) section 233A, 233B, 233C, 233D, 233E, 234 or 234A of the Migration Act 1958 .
Sexual offences against children and offences involving child abuse material or harm to children
(3B) An offence is also a serious offence if:
(a) it is an offence against Division 272, 273 or 273A, Subdivision B or C of Division 471, or Subdivision D or F of Division 474, of the Criminal Code ; or
(b) the particular conduct constituting the offence otherwise involved, involves or would involve:
(i) the production, publication, possession, supply or sale of, or other dealing in, child abuse material (within the meaning of Part 10.6 of the Criminal Code ); or
(ii) consenting to or procuring the employment of a child, or employing a child, in connection with such material.
Money laundering offences etc.
(4) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against any of the following provisions:
(a) Part 10.2 of the Criminal Code (other than section 400.9);
(b) Part 4AC of the Crimes Act 1900 of New South Wales;
(c) section 194, 195 or 195A of the Crimes Act 1958 of Victoria;
(d) section 64 of the Crimes (Confiscation of Profits) Act 1989 of Queensland;
(e) section 563A of The Criminal Code of Western Australia;
(f) section 138 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act 1935 of South Australia;
(g) section 67 of the Crime (Confiscation of Profits) Act 1993 of Tasmania;
(h) section 74 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1991 of the Australian Capital Territory;
(i) Division 3A of Part VII of Schedule I to the Criminal Code Act 1983 (NT).
Cybercrime offences etc.
(5) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against any of the following provisions:
(a) Part 10.7 of the Criminal Code ;
(b) section 308C, 308D, 308E, 308F, 308G, 308H or 308I of the Crimes Act 1900 of New South Wales;
(c) section 247B, 247C, 247D, 247E, 247F, 247G or 247H of the Crimes Act 1958 of Victoria;
(d) a provision of a law of a State (other than New South Wales or Victoria) that corresponds to a provision covered by paragraph (a), (b) or (c);
(e) a provision of a law of a Territory that corresponds to a provision covered by paragraph (a), (b) or (c);
(f) section 440A of The Criminal Code of Western Australia.
Serious drug offences
(5A) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against Part 9.1 of the Criminal Code (other than section 308.1 or 308.2).
Cartel offences
(5B) An offence is also a serious offence if it is:
(a) an offence against section 44ZZRF or 44ZZRG of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 ; or
(b) an offence under subsection 79(1) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 that relates to an offence covered by paragraph (a); or
(c) an offence against section 44ZZRF or 44ZZRG of the text set out in Part 1 of Schedule 1 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 , so far as that section applies as a law of a State, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory; or
(d) an offence under subsection 79(1) of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (so far as that subsection applies as a law of a State, the Northern Territory or the Australian Capital Territory) that relates to an offence covered by paragraph (c).
Note: Offences covered by paragraph (c) or (d) form part of the Competition Code of the State or Territory concerned.
Market misconduct
(5C) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against any of the following provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 :
(a) section 1041A;
(b) subsection 1041B(1);
(c) subsection 1041C(1);
(d) section 1041D;
(e) subsection 1041E(1);
(f) subsection 1041F(1);
(g) section 1041G;
(h) subsection 1043A(1);
(i) subsection 1043A(2).
Offences connected with other serious offences
(6) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence constituted by:
(a) aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of; or
(b) being, by act or omission, in any way, directly or indirectly, knowingly concerned in, or party to, the commission of; or
(c) conspiring to commit;
an offence that is a serious offence under any of the preceding subsections.
(7) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence constituted by receiving or assisting a person who is, to the offender's knowledge, guilty of a serious offence mentioned in subsection (1), in order to enable the person to escape punishment or to dispose of the proceeds of the offence.
(8) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against any of the following provisions:
(a) section 131.1, 135.1, 142.1 or 142.2, subsection 148.2(3), or section 268.112 of the Criminal Code ;
(b) section 35, 36, 36A, 37, 39, 41, 42, 43, 46, 46A or 47 of the Crimes Act 1914 .
Offences relating to criminal associations and organisations
(8A) An offence is also a serious offence if it is an offence against Division 390 of the Criminal Code .
Offences relating to criminal organisations
(9) An offence is also a serious offence if:
(a) the particular conduct constituting the offence involved, involves or would involve, as the case requires:
(i) associating with a criminal organisation, or a member of a criminal organisation; or
(ii) contributing to the activities of a criminal organisation; or
(iii) aiding, abetting, counselling or procuring the commission of a prescribed offence for a criminal organisation; or
(iv) being, by act or omission, in any way, directly or indirectly, knowingly concerned in, or party to, the commission of a prescribed offence for a criminal organisation; or
(v) conspiring to commit a prescribed offence for a criminal organisation; and
(b) if the offence is covered by subparagraph (a)(i)--the conduct constituting the offence was engaged in, or is reasonably suspected of having been engaged in, for the purpose of supporting the commission of one or more prescribed offences by the organisation or its members; and
(c) if the offence is covered by subparagraph (a)(ii)--the conduct constituting the offence was engaged in, or is reasonably suspected of having been engaged in, for the purpose of enhancing the ability of the organisation or its members to commit or facilitate the commission of one or more prescribed offences.