Attorney-General's Portfolio Miscellaneous Measures Bill 2023

The majority voted in favour of a motion to agree with the remaining stages of the bill so that it will now be passed in the Senate.

What does this bill do?

According to the bill digest (which is a document prepared by the parliamentary library):

The purpose of the Attorney-General’s Portfolio Miscellaneous Measures Bill 2023 is to make a range of amendments to update and clarify the intended operation of legislation administered by the Attorney-General. It includes:

• amendments to confer jurisdiction on the Federal Court of Australia to hear and determine a range of indictable and summary corporate crime offences within the regulatory remit of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission

• amendments to the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 to allow the Federal Court to enter into a formal arrangement with a state or territory to use its established jury preparation processes. This will provide an additional option for preparing a jury panel

• minor and technical amendments to the Marriage Act 1961 to improve accessibility for marrying couples and provide greater clarity of meaning

• repeal of section 213A of the Native Title Act 1993 to abolish the Native Title Respondents Scheme and Native Title Officer Funding Scheme.

• The Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee has reported on the Bill. The Committee recommended:

• further guidance on the proposed reforms to the Federal Court’s criminal jurisdiction and jury selection process be provided in the Explanatory Memorandum to the Bill

• the Guidelines on the Marriage Act 1961 for authorised celebrants be amended to provide information on the proposed requirement for celebrants to meet separately with each party to a proposed marriage and

• that the Bill be passed.

• Views of stakeholders expressed in submissions to the Senate Committee inquiry are included in the Bills Digest.