Production of evidence

Commonwealth of Australia

Australia - International Criminal Court Act No. 41 2002 (2018) EN

Part 1—Preliminary

4 Definitions
evidence includes expert evidence.

evidential material means:
(a) in Subdivision F of Division 14 of Part 4—evidence relating to:
(i) property in relation to which a forfeiture order has been or could be made; or
(ii) property in relation to which a restraining order has been or could be made for the purposes of section 82; or
(iii) property of a person in relation to whom a pecuniary penalty order may be enforced as described in section 159; or
(iv) proceeds of a crime within the jurisdiction of the ICC;or
(v) benefits derived from the commission of a crime within the jurisdiction of the ICC; or
(b) otherwise—a thing relevant to a crime within the jurisdiction of the ICC, including such a thing in electronic form.

Part 2—General provisions relating to requests by the ICC for cooperation

11 Consultations with ICC
(3) Without limiting the types of conditions under which assistance may be provided, the Attorney-General may agree to information or documents being sent to the Prosecutor on a confidential basis, on the condition that the Prosecutor will use them solely for the purpose of generating new evidence.
(4) If the Attorney-General sends information or documents subject to the condition specified in subsection (3), the Attorney-General may subsequently consent to the disclosure of the documents or information for use as evidence under the provisions of Parts 5 and 6 of the Statute and in accordance with the Rules.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 5—Taking evidence or producing documents or articles

64 Attorney-General may authorise taking of evidence or the production of documents or articles
(1) This section applies if:
(a) the ICC requests that:
(i) evidence be taken in Australia; or
(ii) documents or other articles in Australia be produced; and
(b) the Attorney-General is satisfied that:
(i) the request relates to an investigation being conducted by the Prosecutor or a proceeding before the ICC; and
(ii) there are reasonable grounds for believing that the evidence can be taken, or the documents or other articles can be produced, as the case may be, in Australia.
(2) The Attorney-General is to execute the request by authorising, in writing:
(a) the taking of evidence or production of documents or other articles; and
(b) the sending of evidence, documents or other articles to the ICC.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 5—Taking evidence or producing documents or articles

66 Producing documents or other articles
(1) If the Attorney-General authorises the production of documents or other articles, a magistrate:
(a) must give written notice to each person by whom documents or other articles are to be produced stating that the authorisation has been given and setting out the date and time when, and the place where, the documents or other articles are to be produced; and
(b) may require production of the documents or other articles.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), if the documents or other articles are produced, a magistrate must send them to the Attorney-General together with a written statement certifying that they were produced to that magistrate.
(3) In the case of documents, a magistrate may send to the Attorney-General copies of the documents certified by that magistrate to be true copies.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 5—Taking evidence or producing documents or articles

67 Legal representation
(1) The evidence of a witness may be taken under section 65 in the presence or absence of:
(a) the person to whom the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor, or the proceeding before the ICC, relates; or
(b) his or her legal representative (if any).
(2) The magistrate conducting a proceeding under either section 65 or 66, or both, may permit:
(a) if the person to whom the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor, or the proceeding before the ICC, relates has been notified of the proceeding before the magistrate—that person; and
(b) any other person giving evidence or producing documents or other articles at the proceeding before the magistrate; and
(c) a representative of the Prosecutor or of the ICC; to have legal representation at the proceeding before the magistrate.

68 Form of certificates
A certificate by a magistrate under subsection 65(3) or 66(2) must state whether, when the evidence was taken or the documents or other articles were produced, any of the following persons were present:
(a) the person to whom the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor, or the proceeding before the ICC, relates, or his or her legal representative (if any);
(b) any other person giving evidence or producing documents or other articles, or his or her legal representative (if any).

69 Compellability of persons to attend etc.
(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), the laws of each State or Territory with respect to compelling persons:
(a) to attend before a magistrate; and
(b) to give evidence, answer questions, and produce documents or other articles;
on the hearing of a charge against a person for an offence against the law of that State or Territory apply, so far as they are capable of application, with respect to so compelling persons for the purposes of this Division.
(2) For the purposes of this Division, the person to whom the investigation conducted by the Prosecutor, or the proceeding before the ICC, relates, is competent but not compellable to give evidence.
(3) If:
(a) a person is required to give evidence, or produce documents or other articles, for the purposes of an investigation conducted by the Prosecutor or a proceeding before the ICC; and
(b) the person is not compellable to answer a particular question, or to produce a particular document or article, for the purposes of that investigation or proceeding; the person is not compellable to answer the question, or produce the document or article, for the purposes of this Division.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 5A—Providing law enforcement agency material

69A Authorising provision of material obtained by law enforcement agencies
(1) The Attorney-General may authorise, in writing, the provision of material to the ICC if:
(a) the ICC has requested the material; and
(b) the Attorney-General is satisfied that:
(i) the request relates to an investigation being conducted by the Prosecutor or a proceeding before the ICC; and
(ii) if the material is or includes lawfully intercepted information or interception warrant information—the investigation is into, or the proceeding relates to, an offence punishable by a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 7 years or more, or imprisonment for life; and
(iii) the material was lawfully obtained in Australia by, and is lawfully in the possession of, a law enforcement agency.
(2) The authorisation may:
(a) specify the uses to which the material can be put by the ICC; and
(b) include a direction to a law enforcement officer of the law enforcement agency about how the material is to be provided to the ICC.
(3) Material lawfully obtained in Australia includes:
(a) material obtained from individuals or entities by consent; and
(b) material obtained by warrant, or the exercise of a coercive power by a court, in Australia for the purposes of a domestic investigation or prosecution.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 8—Facilitating the voluntary appearance of persons (other than prisoners) as witnesses or experts before the ICC

73 Persons (other than prisoners) assisting investigation or giving evidence
(1) This section applies if:
(a) the ICC requests assistance in facilitating the voluntary appearance of a person as a witness or expert before the ICC; and
(b) the Attorney-General is satisfied that:
(i) the request relates to an investigation being conducted by the Prosecutor or a proceeding before the ICC; and
(ii) the person’s appearance is requested so that the person can assist the investigation or give evidence at the proceeding; and
(iii) the person is in Australia and is not a prisoner; and
(iv) the person has consented in writing to assisting the investigation or giving evidence at the proceeding.
(2) The Attorney-General is to execute the request by making arrangements for the travel of the person to the ICC.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 9—Temporary transfer of prisoners to the ICC

74 Prisoners assisting investigation or giving evidence
(1)
(ii) the prisoner’s attendance is requested for the purpose of assisting the investigation or giving evidence at the proceeding; and
(iii) the prisoner has consented in writing to assisting the investigation or giving evidence at the proceeding; and

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 10—Examination of places or sites

76B Providing forensic evidence to the ICC
(1) The Attorney-General may direct a constable about how forensic evidence is to be provided to the ICC if:
(a) the Attorney-General gave an authorisation to the constable under subsection 76A(1); and
(b) the forensic evidence resulted from the authorisation.
(2) A direction under subsection (1) is not a legislative instrument.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 11B—Prospective telecommunications data

78B Authorising an authorisation for the disclosure of prospective telecommunications data
(1) The Attorney-General may authorise, in writing, the making of an authorisation under section 180B of the Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 for the disclosure of information or documents if:
(a) the ICC has requested the Attorney-General to arrange for the disclosure of the information or documents; and
(b) the information or documents come into existence during a period specified by the ICC, and which started on or after the day the request was made; and
(c) the Attorney-General is satisfied that:
(i) an investigation is being conducted by the Prosecutor or a proceeding is before the ICC; and
(ii) the information or documents relate to the fact of a communication passing over a telecommunications system during that period.
(2) To avoid doubt, information or documents do not relate to the fact of a communication passing over a telecommunications system to the extent that the information is, or the documents contain, the contents or substance of a communication.

Part 4—Other requests by ICC

Division 12—Provision of records or documents

79 Facilitating the provision of records or documents
(1) This section applies if:
(a) the ICC requests assistance for the provision of records or documents, including official records or official documents; and
(b) the Attorney-General is satisfied that:
(i) the request relates to an investigation being conducted by the Prosecutor or a proceeding before the ICC; and
(ii) the records or documents are or may be in Australia.
(2) The Attorney-General is to execute the request by authorising, in writing, the provision of the records or documents.
(3) If the Attorney-General authorises the provision of records or documents, an appropriate authority is to:
(a) locate and make available the records or documents; and
(b) make such report on his or her efforts as he or she considers to be appropriate in the circumstances; and
(c) send to the Attorney-General the report and any of the records or documents that are located.
(4) This section does not give to any person power to require the production of a record or document.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(b) The taking of evidence, including testimony under oath, and the production of evidence, including expert opinions and reports necessary to the Court;