Cybercrime Legislation Amendment Bill 2011

The majority agreed to pass the bill, with amendments. In parliamentary jargon, they agreed to give the bill a third reading.

The bill will now go back to the House of Representatives, where the Members of Parliament (MPs) will consider the amendments and decide whether they agree. If they do, the bill will be passed and become law.

What does this bill do?

The bill makes Australian legislation compliant with the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime requirements so that Australia can ratify the Convention, which promotes international cooperation and a coordinated approach to cybercrime.

The bills digest maps out the main issues related to the bill. For example, there are concerns that the bill doesn't explicitly recognise the dual criminality principle:

Under this principle it is argued that powers must not be granted in respect of behaviour that would not be a crime if performed in Australia. Australian citizens must be protected against abuse of their communications, their data and their freedoms in relation to conduct that is lawful within Australia.

Read more about this issue and others in the bills digest.

These issues are also discussed on ABC News as well as on Lateline.