InBrief

The Criminal Procedure Further Amendment (Public Officers) Regulation 2008, the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Amendment (Police Integrity Commission Exemption) Regulation 2008 and the _Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment Regulation 2008 _will commence tomorrow, 19 December 2008, following their gazettal.

The Criminal Procedure Further Amendment (Public Officers) Regulation 2008 amends the Criminal Procedure Regulation 2005 to declare the Police Integrity Commission to be a body whose officers and employees are public officers for the purposes of the Criminal Procedure Act 1986. The effect of this is to enable officers and employees of the Commission to commence and conduct prosecutions in NSW courts as public, rather than private, prosecutors, with the powers and certain of the protections conferred on public prosecutors.

The Drug Misuse and Trafficking Amendment (Police Integrity Commission Exemption) Regulation 2008 amends the _Drug Misuse and Trafficking Regulation 2006 _to provide that certain authorised officers of the Police Integrity Commission are exempt from a number of sections of the _Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act 1985 _relating to prohibited plants and prohibited drugs.

The Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment Regulation 2008 amends the _Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Regulation 2005 _to decrease the age (from 16 years to 14 years) at which a child may give consent to an adult (other than a police officer) to be the support person for the child during police interviewing and questioning.

18 December 2008