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Commonwealth Areas of Prosecution

The practice of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) involves the prosecution of a broad range of offences. Criminal offences feature in numerous Commonwealth Acts and Regulations and these cover many subject areas. As an indication, in 2006-07, the CDPP prosecuted offences against some 69 Acts and Regulations. The relevant legislation ranges from the Civil Aviation Act to the Corporations Law; from the Customs Act to the Social Security Act; and from the Financial Transactions Reports Act to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

The main offences prosecuted by the CDPP include drug importation, offences against corporate law, fraud on the Commonwealth in its various guises (such as tax fraud, medifraud and social security fraud), money laundering, people smuggling, people trafficking (including sexual servitude and slavery matters), terrorism, and a range of regulatory offences.

Many offences against the law of the Commonwealth are now contained in the Criminal Code. These include:

• The integrity and security of the international community and foreign governments. (Bribery of foreign public officials, offences against United Nations and associated personnel, International terrorist activities using explosive or lethal devices, and people smuggling and related offences.);
• The security of the Commonwealth. (Treason, offences relating to espionage and similar activities, terrorism, and harming Australians outside Australia.);
• The proper administration of government. (Theft and other property offences, fraudulent conduct, the making of false or misleading statements and unwarranted demands of a Commonwealth public official.);
• Offences against humanity and related offences. (Genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes against the administration of the justice of the International Criminal Court, and offences relating to slavery, sexual servitude, deceptive recruiting and debt bondage.);
• Dangers to the Community. (Cross-border firearms trafficking, the contamination of goods and offences relating to serious drugs covering both the import of serious drugs into Australia and activities in Australia);
• National Infrastructure. (Money laundering, offences relating to postal services, telecommunications offences including in relation to use of a carriage service involving child abuse and child pornography material and suicide related material, and offences relating to financial information.)