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Home :: ALRC inquiries :: Summary by title of final report :: ALRC 1 & ALRC 9 summariesOutline of the reports
ALRC 1
The ALRC was required to investigate appropriate legislative means of safeguarding individual rights and liberties in relation to the proposed Australia Police. The Australia Police would have integrated the Commonwealth and territorial police forces, and certain sections of the Department of Customs and Excise into a single law enforcement agency.
The ALRC was asked to pay particular regard to a number of matters including conduct of investigations; powers of arrest, search and seizure; the rights of persons detained in custody; and the investigation of complaints against members of the Australia Police.
Because there was no existing model of investigation and determination of external complaints, the ALRC examined models in other countries. ALRC 1 outlined that it was necessary to introduce an independent element into the investigation and the determination of police complaints if there was to be public confidence in the system. It indicated this element of independence needed to be balanced against the necessity to preserve the morale and discipline of the police force.
ALRC 9
In 1977, the Attorney General asked the Commission to review its earlier report on police complaints (ALRC 1) as a result of its decision not to proceed with the proposed Australia Police.
The ALRC was asked to make any changes that were necessary in light of the decision to retain separate police forces of the Commonwealth, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.
At the same time, the ALRC was asked to consider new English legislation on complaints against police, new reports in Australia and overseas on this issue, the passage of the Ombudsman Act 1976 (Cth) and public, police and other comments received since the publication of ALRC 1.
ALRC 9 retained the basic scheme put forward in the first report