The Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (High Risk Terrorist Offenders) Bill 2021 has been passed by Parliament, adding further protection to the Australian community from the evolving threat posed by convicted terrorist offenders. 

The new bill establishes an extended supervision order scheme to ensure that terrorist offenders who are released at the end of their custodial sentences are subject to tailored close supervision.

This will be based on the level of risk they pose to community safety. 

“As we have seen from the recent terrorist attacks in New Zealand, and the UK, as well as similar attacks in the UK in 2019 and 2020, convicted terrorist offenders can pose a very real threat to the community at the conclusion of their sentence,” Attorney-General Michaelia Cash said. 

“Such individuals are typically highly radicalised and do not change their extremist views while in prison, despite deradicalisation efforts.” 

Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews said that, with a significant number of convicted terrorist offenders who will soon reach the conclusion of their prison sentences, the Australian Government is taking strong action to ensure that police have the needed powers to keep the community safe and manage those who remain a high-risk. 

“Australians can trust that the Government will back our intelligence, law enforcement and other operational agencies, by providing the resources, powers, and legislative support they need to tackle this complex and ever-evolving threat,” Minister Andrews said. 

Under the new bill’s extended supervision order, a State or Territory Supreme Court may impose conditions at the end of the sentence that is proportionate to the risk the offenders pose to the community.

These conditions may include restrictions to movement and access to devices, requirements to not associate with particular individuals and to participate in specified rehabilitation and treatment programs.

The bill mandates that breaches of those conditions will be an offence punishable by up to five years imprisonment. 

There have been a total of nine terrorist attacks and 21 major counter-terrorism disruption operations since the National Terrorism Threat Level was raised to ‘Probable’ in September 2014. 

There is also a sizeable cohort of terrorist offenders currently serving custodial sentences, with all due for release in the coming years. 

Source: Minister for Home Affairs Media Release

Eliza Sayon

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Eliza is a content producer and editor at Public Spectrum. She is an experienced writer on topics related to the government and to the public, as well as stories that uplift and improve the community.

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