Protection of safety of physical or psychological well-being of victims, witnesses and families

Commonwealth of Australia

Australia - Witness Protection Act 1994 (2012)

Section 10A Inclusion of persons in NWPP at the request of International Criminal Court

(1) If:


(a) the Minister receives a request from the International Criminal Court for the inclusion of a person (the nominated person) in the NWPP; and

(b) the Minister is satisfied that:

(i) the Court has provided all material that is necessary to support the request; and

(ii) it is appropriate to do so in all the circumstances; the Minister is to refer the request to the Commissioner.

(2) The Commissioner is to consider including the nominated person in the NWPP in the same way as the Commissioner would consider including another person in the NWPP.

(3) The Commissioner may, if he or she thinks it appropriate to do so, seek further information about the nominated person from the Court.

(4) If:

(a) the Commissioner decides that the nominated person is suitable for inclusion in the NWPP; and

(b) the Minister, after considering a report from the Commissioner recommending the inclusion of the person in the NWPP, has decided that it is appropriate in all the circumstances that the person be included in the NWPP; and

(c) the Commissioner has entered into an arrangement with the Court for the purpose of making services under the NWPP available to the Court; and

(d) if the person is not an Australian citizen—the nominated person has been granted a visa for entry to Australia;

the Commissioner is to include the nominated person in the NWPP.

(5)An arrangement referred to in paragraph (4)(c) must include procedures under which the Court pays the costs associated with providing protection for the nominated person and any associated persons, including:

(a) the costs of travel by those persons and the costs of associated travel by members; and

(b) any costs that will be incurred if protection and assistance under the NWPP to the nominated person is terminated; and

(c) such other costs as the Commissioner determines.

(6) In this section: International Criminal Court has the same meaning as in the International Criminal Court Act 2002.

Rome Statute

Article 87 Requests for cooperation: general provisions

4. In relation to any request for assistance presented under this Part, the Court may take such measures, including measures related to the protection of information, as may be necessary to ensure the safety or physical or psychological well-being of any victims, potential witnesses and their families. The Court may request that any information that is made available under this Part shall be provided and handled in a manner that protects the safety and physical or psychological well-being of any victims, potential witnesses and their families.