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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 11 Hansard (26 September) . . Page.. 3645 ..

. satisfy the requirements of Commonwealth, State and Territory legislation which require complementary legislation in order to issue documents for protected witnesses in other jurisdictions;

. provide for an independent body such as the Supreme Court to have responsibility for hearing applications and ordering the issue of identification documentation for protected witnesses satisfying stipulated criteria; and

. impose ACT requirements, and satisfy those of other jurisdictions, which make it an offence to disclose information about a protected witness under the ACT's, or complementary, witness protection law.

Mr Speaker, this Bill will be an important part of the legislative structure aimed at helping law enforcement in the Territory and to enable the Territory to be part of a comprehensive State Territory and Commonwealth approach to witness protection. It is essential that our police force have the ability to protect witnesses whose information and evidence will help in solving crimes, pursuing prosecutions and obtaining convictions.

I commend the Bill to the Assembly.

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