Roles and Functions
The ACC has a range of statutory functions centred on intelligence collection and dissemination and criminal investigations. Among the ACC’s functions is recommending national criminal intelligence priorities (NCIPs) to the ACC Board and providing strategic intelligence relating to these priorities. The ACC Board determines NCIPs, provides strategic direction to and determines priorities for the ACC among other functions. The ACC works collaboratively with state and territory police forces and Commonwealth agencies from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
Furthermore, the ACC has ongoing powers similar to a Royal Commission including extensive coercive powers. This includes the power to examine witnesses in a "star chamber", with the witnesses being compelled to answer questions of the Commission. These witnesses are served with a summons, which includes a prohibition of telling anyone about the summons. The punishment for telling anyone about the summons is contempt of court, with a penalty of 8-9 months imprisonment.
These powers have been the subject of challenges in the Federal Court of Australia and in the High Court. All of those challenges have failed.??
Read more about this topic: Australian Crime Commission
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