High Court of Australia
OrganisationReferenced in 6 bills
Criminal Code and Other Legislation (Double Jeopardy Exception and Subsequent Appeals) Amendment Bill 2023
This bill strengthens Queensland's criminal justice system in two ways: it allows convicted people to make further appeals when new evidence of their innocence emerges, and it expands the ability to retry people who were acquitted of serious crimes when fresh evidence comes to light. Queensland was one of the last Australian jurisdictions without a subsequent appeal framework, and the double jeopardy exception previously only applied to murder.
Crime and Corruption (Restoring Reporting Powers) Amendment Bill 2025
This bill restores the Crime and Corruption Commission's power to publicly report on corruption investigations and make public statements about corruption matters. The High Court ruled in 2023 that the CCC had never actually held this power, invalidating past reports. The bill creates new reporting powers with safeguards, enhances procedural fairness for people named in reports, and retrospectively validates all past CCC corruption reports.
Electoral Legislation (Political Donations) Amendment Bill 2018
This bill would have banned all for-profit corporations from making political donations in Queensland, at both state and local government levels. It was a private member's bill introduced by the Greens, building on the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra investigation into the corrupting influence of political donations. The bill failed its second reading and did not become law.
Crime and Corruption (Reporting) Amendment Bill 2024
This bill would have given the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) clear legal powers to publicly report on corruption investigations and make public statements about corruption matters. It was introduced after the High Court ruled in 2023 that the CCC had no authority to publish reports on individual corruption investigations, leaving a gap in public accountability. This bill lapsed at the end of the 57th Parliament and did not become law.
Electoral and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill reforms Queensland's electoral laws to improve donation transparency, modernise voting operations, and align with four-year fixed parliamentary terms. It implements recommendations from the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra inquiry into local government corruption risks and an independent review of the 2016 elections.
Local Government Electoral and Other Legislation (Expenditure Caps) Amendment Bill 2022
This bill introduces spending caps for Queensland local government elections, limiting how much candidates, political parties and third parties can spend on campaigning. It was prompted by the Crime and Corruption Commission's Operation Belcarra findings about uneven financial competition in council elections and implements recommendations from a parliamentary committee inquiry.