STATUTORY RULES.

1944. No. 88.

REGULATION UNDER THE NATIONAL SECURITY ACT 1939-1943.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulation under the National Security Act 1939-1943.

Dated this sixth day of June, 1944.

GOWRIE

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

H. V. EVATT

for and on behalf of the Minister of State for Defence.

Amendment of National Security (Supplementary) Regulations. †

The National Security (Supplementary) Regulations are amended by adding at the end thereof the following regulation:—

Censorship Committee.

“127.—(1.) The Chairman of the Committee of the Parliament constituted in accordance with the statement of the Prime Minister made in the House of Representatives on the fourteenth day of March, 1944, to inquire into and make recommendations to the Government with respect to censorship may, by writing under his hand, summon any person to attend before the Committee at a time and place mentioned in the summons and then and there to give evidence and to produce any books, documents and writings in his custody or control which he is required by the summons to produce.

“(2.) A summons under this regulation shall be served personally or by leaving it at the usual place of abode of the person to whom it is addressed.

“(3.) The Chairman of the Committee may administer an oath or affirmation to any person appearing as a witness before the Committee, whether the witness has been summoned or appears without being summoned, and may examine the witness upon oath or affirmation.

* Notified in the Commonwealth, Gazette on 6th June, 1944.

† Statutory Rules 1940, No. 126, as amended to date. For previous National Security (Supplementary) Regulations, see footnote † to Statutory Rules 1944, No. 2, and see also Statutory Rules 1944, Nos. 5, 43, 45, 58, 62, 66, 74, 81 and 83.

3669.—PRICE 3D.

“(4.) A person served with a summons to attend before the Committee shall not fail, without reasonable excuse, to attend before the Committee or to produce any documents, books or writings in his custody or control which he was required by the summons to produce.

“(5.) In any prosecution for an offence arising under this regulation for failing without reasonable cause to produce any documents, books or writings, it shall be proved that the documents, books or writings were relevant to the inquiry.

“(6.) A person appearing as a witness before the Committee shall not refuse to be sworn or to make an affirmation or to answer any questions relevant to the inquiry put to him by the Chairman or a member of the Committee.

“(7.) A witness before the Committee shall not knowingly give false testimony in any evidence given by him to the Committee.”.

By Authority: L. F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.