Customs Act 1901 Flashcards
Section 186
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 186 General powers of examination of goods subject to customs control
Section 187
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 187 Power to board and search
Section 188
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 188
Boarding
(1) The power of an officer to board shall extend to staying on board any ship, aircraft or installation and the Collector may station an officer on board any ship, aircraft or installation, and the master or pilot shall provide sleeping accommodation in the cabin and suitable and sufficient food for such officer.
Section 189
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 189
Searching
The power of an officer to search shall extend to every part of any ship, aircraft or installation, and shall authorize the opening of any package, locker, or place and the examination of all goods.
Section 195
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 195
Power to question passengers etc.
(1) An officer of Customs may question:
(a) any person who is on board a ship or an aircraft or an installation of the kind referred to in paragraph 187(b), (c), (d) or (e); or
(b) any person who has, or who the officer has reason to believe has, got off a ship or out of an aircraft; or
(c) any person who the officer has reason to believe is about to board a ship or an aircraft;
as to whether that person or any child or other person accompanying him or her has on his or her person, in his or her baggage or otherwise with him or her any:
(d) dutiable goods; or
(e) excisable goods; or
(f) prohibited goods.
Section 4
Definitions
Section 15
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 15
Appointment of ports etc.
(1) The Comptroller-General of Customs may, by notice published in the Gazette :
(a) appoint ports and fix the limits of those ports; and
(b) appoint airports and fix the limits of those airports.
(1A) In deciding whether to appoint a port under subsection (1), the Comptroller-General of Customs may take into account:
(a) whether the port or any part of the port is a security regulated port (within the meaning of the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 ); and
(b) if so--whether the person designated under section 14 of the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003 as the port operator has a maritime security plan (within the meaning of that Act).
(2) The Comptroller-General of Customs may, by notice published in the Gazette :
(a) appoint wharves and fix the limits of those wharves; and
(b) appoint boarding stations for the boarding of ships and aircraft by officers.
(3) A notice under subsection (1) or (2) may provide that a port, airport, wharf or boarding station appointed by the notice is to be a port, airport, wharf or boarding station for limited purposes specified in the notice.
Section 30
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 30
Customs control of goods
(1) Goods shall be subject to customs control as follows:
(a) as to goods to which section 68 applies that are unshipped or that are a ship or aircraft not carried on board a ship or aircraft--from the time of their importation:
Section 31
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 31
Goods on ships and aircraft subject to customs control
All goods on board any ship or aircraft from a place outside Australia are subject to customs control while the ship or aircraft:
(a) is within the limits of any port or airport in Australia; or
(b) is at a place to which the ship or aircraft has been brought because of stress of weather or other reasonable cause as mentioned in subsection 58(1); or
(c) is at a place that is the subject of a permission under subsection 58(2).
Section 33
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 33
Persons not to move goods subject to customs control
(1) If:
(a) a person intentionally moves, alters or interferes with goods that are subject to customs control; and
(b) the movement, alteration or interference is not authorised by or under this Act;
the person commits an offence punishable, on conviction, by a penalty not exceeding 500 penalty units.
(2) If:
(a) a person moves, alters or interferes with goods that are subject to customs control; and
(b) the movement, alteration or interference is not authorised by or under this Act;
the person commits an offence punishable, on conviction, by a penalty not exceeding 60 penalty units.
(3) If:
(a) an employee of a person moves, alters or interferes with goods that are subject to customs control; and
(b) in moving, altering or interfering with the goods the employee is acting on behalf of the person; and
(c) the movement, alteration or interference is not authorised by or under this Act;
the person commits an offence punishable, on conviction, by a penalty not exceeding 60 penalty units.
(4) It is a defence to a prosecution of a person for a contravention of subsection (3) if the person took reasonable precautions, and exercised due diligence, to prevent the employee who is alleged to have moved, altered or interfered with the goods from moving, altering or interfering with them.
(5) If:
(a) a person intentionally directs or permits another person to move, alter or interfere with goods that are subject to customs control; and
(b) the movement, alteration or interference is not authorised by or under this Act;
the person commits an offence punishable, on conviction, by a penalty not exceeding 500 penalty units.
(6) If:
(a) a person directs or permits another person to move, alter or interfere with goods that are subject to customs control; and
(b) the movement, alteration or interference is not authorised by or under this Act;
the person commits an offence punishable, on conviction, by a penalty not exceeding 60 penalty units.
(7) An offence against subsection (2), (3) or (6) is an offence of strict liability.
(8) In this section:
“employee “ , of a body corporate, includes a person who is a director, a member, or a member of the board of management, of the body corporate.
“goods “ does not include installations.
Note 1: For permission to move goods specified in a cargo report from one place under customs control to another place under customs control, see section 71E.
Note 2: For permission to move, alter or interfere with goods for export, see section 119AA.
Note 3: For permission to move, alter or interfere with goods that are no longer for export, see sections 119AB and 119AC.
Section 35
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 35
Goods imported by post
Goods imported by post shall be subject to customs control equally with goods otherwise imported.
Section 50
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 50
Prohibition of the importation of goods
(1) The Governor-General may, by regulation, prohibit the importation of goods into Australia.
(2) The power conferred by the last preceding subsection may be exercised:
(a) by prohibiting the importation of goods absolutely;
(aa) by prohibiting the importation of goods in specified circumstances;
(b) by prohibiting the importation of goods from a specified place; or
(c) by prohibiting the importation of goods unless specified conditions or restrictions are complied with.
(3) Without limiting the generality of paragraph (2)(c), the regulations:
(a) may provide that the importation of the goods is prohibited unless a licence, permission, consent or approval to import the goods or a class of goods in which the goods are included has been granted as prescribed by the regulations made under this Act or the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 ; and
(b) in relation to licences or permissions granted as prescribed by regulations made under this Act--may make provision for and in relation to:
(i) the assignment of licences or permissions so granted or of licences or permissions included in a prescribed class of licences or permissions so granted;
(ii) the granting of a licence or permission to import goods subject to compliance with conditions or requirements, either before or after the importation of the goods, by the holder of the licence or permission at the time the goods are imported;
(iii) the surrender of a licence or permission to import goods and, in particular, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the surrender of a licence or permission to import goods in exchange for the granting to the holder of the surrendered licence or permission of another licence or permission or other licences or permissions to import goods; and
(iv) the revocation of a licence or permission that is granted subject to a condition or requirement to be complied with by a person for a failure by the person to comply with the condition or requirement, whether or not the person is charged with an offence against subsection (4) in respect of the failure.
(3A) Without limiting the generality of subparagraph (3)(b)(ii), a condition referred to in that subparagraph may be a condition that, before the expiration of a period specified in the permission or that period as extended with the approval of the Collector, that person, or, if that person is a natural person who dies before the expiration of that period or that period as extended, as the case may be, the legal personal representative of that person, shall export, or cause the exportation of, the goods from Australia.
(4) A person commits an offence if:
(a) a licence or permission has been granted, on or after 16 October 1963, under the regulations; and
(b) the licence or permission relates to goods that are not narcotic goods; and
(c) the licence or permission is subject to a condition or requirement to be complied with by the person; and
(d) the person engages in conduct; and
(e) the person's conduct contravenes the condition or requirement.
Penalty: 100 penalty units.
(5) Subsection (4) is an offence of strict liability.
Note: For strict liability , see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code .
(6) Absolute liability applies to paragraph (4)(a), despite subsection (5).
Note: For absolute liability , see section 6.2 of the Criminal Code .
(7) A person commits an offence if:
(a) a licence or permission has been granted, on or after 16 October 1963, under the regulations; and
(b) the licence or permission relates to goods that are narcotic goods; and
(c) the licence or permission is subject to a condition or requirement to be complied with by the person; and
(d) the person engages in conduct; and
(e) the person's conduct contravenes the condition or requirement.
Penalty: Imprisonment for 2 years or 20 penalty units, or both.
(9) Absolute liability applies to paragraph (7)(a).
Note: For absolute liability , see section 6.2 of the Criminal Code .
(10) In this section:
“engage in conduct “ means:
(a) do an act; or
(b) omit to perform an act.
Section 51
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 51
Prohibited imports
(1) Goods, the importation of which is prohibited under section 50, are prohibited imports.
(2) Notwithstanding the generality of subsection (1), ships, boats and aircraft the importation of which is prohibited under section 50 are prohibited imports if, and only if, they have been imported into Australia.
Section 68
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 68
Entry of imported goods
(1) This section applies to:
(a) goods that are imported into Australia; and
(b) goods that are intended to be imported into Australia and that are on board a ship or aircraft that has commenced its journey to Australia; and
(c) a ship or aircraft that is intended to be imported into Australia and that has commenced its journey to Australia;
but does not apply to:
(d) goods that are accompanied or unaccompanied personal or household effects of a passenger, or a member of a crew, of a ship or aircraft; and
(e) goods, other than prescribed goods:
(i) that are included in a consignment consigned through the Post Office by one person to another; and
(ii) that have a value not exceeding $1,000 or such other amount as is prescribed; and
(f) goods, other than prescribed goods:
(i) that are included in a consignment consigned otherwise than by post by one person to another; and
(ii) that are all transported to Australia in the same ship or aircraft; and
(iii) that have a value not exceeding $250 or such other amount as is prescribed; and
(g) containers:
(i) that are the property of a person carrying on business in Australia; and
(ii) that are imported on a temporary basis to be re-exported, whether empty or loaded; and
(h) containers:
(i) that were manufactured in Australia; and
(ii) that are, when imported into Australia, the property of a person carrying on business in Australia; and
(iii) that were the property of that person when, and have remained the property of that person since, they were exported or were last exported from Australia; and
(i) goods that, under the regulations, are exempted from this section, either absolutely or on such terms and conditions as are specified in the regulations; and
(j) goods stated in a cargo report to be goods whose destination is a place outside Australia.
(2) The owner of goods to which this section applies may enter the goods for home consumption or for warehousing:
(a) for goods carried on board a ship or aircraft--at any time before the ship or aircraft first arrives at a port or airport in Australia at which any goods are to be discharged; or
(b) for goods that are a ship or aircraft and that are not carried on board a ship or aircraft--at any time before the ship or aircraft first arrives at a port or airport in Australia.
(3) If the owner of goods to which this section applies does not enter the goods under subsection (2) for home consumption or for warehousing , the owner must enter the goods for home consumption or for warehousing :
(a) for goods carried on board a ship or aircraft--after the ship or aircraft first arrives at a port or airport in Australia at which any goods are to be discharged; or
(b) for goods that are a ship or aircraft and that are not carried on board a ship or aircraft--after the ship or aircraft first arrives at a port or airport in Australia.
(3A) An entry of goods for home consumption is made by communicating to the Department an import declaration in respect of the goods.
(3B) An entry of goods for warehousing is made by communicating to the Department a warehouse declaration in respect of the goods.
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (1)(d), goods:
(a) in quantities exceeding what could reasonably be expected to be required by a passenger or member of the crew of a ship or aircraft for his or her own use; or
(b) that are, to the knowledge or belief of a passenger or member of the crew of a ship or aircraft, to be sold, or used in the course of trading, in Australia;
are not included in the personal or household effects of a passenger or crew member.
(5) For the purposes of paragraphs (1)(e) or (f), the value of goods must be ascertained or determined under Division 2 of Part VIII.
Section 68A
CUSTOMS ACT 1901 - SECT 68A
Goods imported for transhipment
If a cargo report in relation to goods states that the destination of the goods is a place outside Australia, an officer may direct a person who has possession of the goods:
(a) not to move the goods; or
(b) to move them to a place specified in the direction.
