Report No. 38

Appendix XI

Australia-Position Regarding Interception of Postal Articles

Extract of section 30E, Australian Crimes Act, 1950-1960.

"30E. Books, etc. issued by unlawful association not transmissible by post.-(1) No book, periodical, pamphlet, handbill, poster or newspaper issued by or on behalf or in the interests of any unlawful association shall-

(a) if posted in Australia, be transmitted through the post; or

(b) in the case of a newspaper, be registered as a newspaper under the provisions of the Post and Telegraph Act, 1901-1923.

[Inserted by No. 9, 1926, section 17]

(2) Deregistration of newspapers.-Any newspaper registered under that Act, which is issued by or on behalf or in the interest of any unlawful association, shall be removed from the register.

[Amended by No. 30, 1932, section 5.]

(3) Any book, periodical, pamphlet, handbill, poster or newspaper posted in Australia, the transmission of which would be contravention of this Act, shall be forwarded to the General Post Office of the State in which it was posted, and shall be forfeited to the Commonwealth and shall be destroyed or disposed of as the Postmaster-General directs."

[Amended by No. 84, 1960, section 63 and the Schedule.]

Sections 3, 29, 40-44, 57, 96, 107 of the (Australian) Posts and Telegraph Act, 1904-1950, prohibit the sending of obscene and certain other objectionable matter by post. (No provision for interception is, however, contained in these sections).