21st Aug 2012, 5:40 PM – Senate Criminal Code Amendment (Cluster Munitions Prohibition) Bill 2010 - In Committee - Acts by non-party country

The majority voted in favour of a motion to keep section 72.42 unchanged. In parliamentary jargon, they voted for that section to "stand as printed".

This vote was put after Greens Senator Scott Ludlam (WA) moved that it be opposed.

What is section 72.42?

In the original bill, section 72.42 is:

72.42 Defence—acts by military personnel of countries not party to Convention on Cluster Munitions

(1) Section 72.38 does not apply to the stockpiling, retention or transfer of a cluster munition that:

(a) is done by:

(i) a member of the armed forces of a foreign country that is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions; or

(ii) a person who is connected with such forces as described in subsection (2) and is neither an Australian citizen nor a resident of Australia; and

(b) is done in connection with the use by those forces of any of the following in Australia in the course of military cooperation or operations with the Australian Defence Force:

(i) a base;

(ii) an aircraft of any part of those forces or an aircraft being commanded or piloted by a member of those forces in the course of his or her duties as such a member;

(iii) a ship of any part of those forces or a ship being operated or commanded by a member of those forces in the course of his or her duties as such a member.

Note: A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matter in this section: see subsection 13.3(3).

(2) This subsection covers a person with any of the following connections with the armed forces of a foreign country that is not a party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions:

(a) the person is employed by, or in the service of, any of those forces;

(b) the person is serving with an organisation accompanying any of those forces;

(c) the person is attached to or accompanying those forces and is subject to the law of that country governing any of the armed forces of that country.

What is this bill?

The bill will bring the Convention on Cluster Munitions into Australian law by, for example, creating offences in relation to cluster munitions and explosive bomblets.

Read more in the bills digest.