Crimes Act 1914

Crimes Act 1914
Enacted by Parliament of Australia
Date enacted 1914
Date assented to 1914
Date commenced 1914
Keywords
criminal code, federal crimes

The Crimes Act 1914 is a piece of Federal legislation in Australia. Pursuant to the Australian Constitution it prevails in any conflict with State laws dealing with the subject of crime.

The Commonwealth (or Federal) Government may not intrude upon the authority of the Australian States to legislate with respect to crime affecting their exclusive sphere of constitutional responsibility. For example, it may not legislate criminal penalties for the evasion of State taxes.

The Commonwealth may, however, legislate upon the subject of crime affecting its areas of conjoint (such as with respect to defence) or exclusive (such as with respect to external territories) responsibility.

Need for the Act

The Australian Federal Government started out in 1902 as a very small affair. As it grew in size and influence, the need became apparent for new Federal agencies and legislation to protect the dignity and interests of the Commonwealth. For example, the need for an Australian Federal Police became apparent when Prime Minister William Hughes was violently egged and assaulted by an anti-conscription crowd at Warwick, Queensland, in 1917 and the Queensland State Police neglected to step in to protect him.[1]

Thus, there was no federal crimes act for the first 13 years of Federation although certain offences had been defined by earlier legislation.

The Act now contains very few offences: most of these have been moved over to the Criminal Code (Commonwealth), which also outlines the principles of criminal liability under Commonwealth law. The Crimes Act is now relevant principally in procedural matters, and it is envisaged that even these provisions will be moved over to the Criminal Code, with the Act eventually repealed.

Scheme of the Act

Selected offences and their maximum penalties

Other miscellaneous offences

See also

References

External links

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