Personal Explanation

Statutes Amendment (Courts and Justice Measures) Bill

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (17:45): I seek leave to make a personal explanation.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Further to questions asked on Thursday 1 December 2016 in this chamber during the committee stage of the Statutes Amendment (Courts and Justice Measures) Bill, for completeness I have some further information in addition to the information that advisers were able to provide on the day. The Attorney-General has provided the following statement:

It recently became apparent that further amendments to the Act might be required in order to appropriately cover investigations involving the heads of jurisdiction. This was first raised in emails to my office dated 24 and 26 October 2016 from the Judicial Conduct Commissioner, who was then acting solely as the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.

The relevant information from those emails was provided by me in an annexure to the heads of each relevant jurisdiction for comment by letters dated 3 November 2016. The letters outlined that the Commissioner had contacted me about potential amendments to the Act. One of those suggested amendments related to Heads of Jurisdiction.

I am informed that on Tuesday 29 November 2016, the Commissioner spoke at a CPD seminar—

a continuing professional development seminar, I understand it to be—

about the role of the Judicial Conduct Commissioner. The Commissioner outlined at that event, that in his view, amendments to the Act were required. Shortly thereafter, my office was informed of the Commissioner's statements.

I spoke to the Commissioner on Thursday 1 December 2016 about the matter. Following that conversation, I formed the view that amendments to the Act were necessary and significant enough to warrant inserting them into the Statutes Amendment (Courts and Justice Measures) Bill 2016. The Bill was not listed for debate that afternoon, but following a conversation between myself and the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, an amendment was agreed upon. The Bill, with that amendment, was passed by the Legislative Council later that day.

That concludes the Attorney-General's statement on that matter.