GENEVA CONVENTIONS ACT 1957
Reprinted as at 20 March 1991
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
Section
PART I-PRELIMINARY
1. Short title
2. Commencement
5. Interpretation
6. Application of Act
PART II-PUNISHMENT OF OFFENDERS AGAINST THE CONVENTIONS
7. Punishment of grave breaches of Conventions
8. Proof of application of Convention
10. Jurisdiction of courts
PART III-LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN RESPECT OF PROTECTED PERSONS
10A. (Not in operation-see Note 2)
11. Notice of trial of protected prisoners of war and internees to be served on protecting power etc.
12. Legal representation of prisoners of war
13. Appeals by protected prisoners of war and internees
14. Reduction of sentence and custody of protected prisoners of war and internees
PART IV-ABUSE OF THE RED CROSS AND OTHER EMBLEMS
15. Use of Red Cross and other emblems
PART V-REGULATIONS
16. Regulations
(5) Subsections (1), (2) and (3) of this section do not apply in relation to an appeal against a conviction or sentence, or against the decision of a court upon a previous appeal, if, at the time of the conviction or sentence, or of the decision of the court upon the previous appeal, as the case may be, there is no protecting power.
Reduction of sentence and custody of protected prisoners of war and internees
14.2 (1) When a protected prisoner of war or a protected internee is convicted of an offence, the court shall:
(a) in fixing a term of imprisonment in respect of the offence, deduct from the term which it would otherwise have fixed any period during which the convicted person has been in custody in connexion with that offence before the trial; and
(b) in fixing any penalty other than imprisonment in respect of the offence, take that period of custody into account.
(2) Where the Minister is satisfied that a protected prisoner of war accused of an offence has been in custody in connexion with that offence, while awaiting trial, in a place other than a camp or place in which protected prisoners of war are detained, for an aggregate period of not less than three months, the Minister may direct that the prisoner shall be transferred from that custody to the custody of an officer of the Defence Force and thereafter remain in military custody at a camp or place in, which protected prisoners of war are detained, and be brought before the court at the time appointed for his trial.
PART IV
ABUSE OF THE RED CROSS AND OTHER EMBLEMS2
Use of Red Cross and other emblems
15.2 (1) Subject to this section, a person shall not, without the consent in writing of the Minister or of a person authorized in writing by the Minister to give consents under this section, use for any purpose whatsoever any of the following:
(a) the emblem of a red cross with vertical and horizontal arms of the same length on, and completely surrounded by, a white ground, or the designation "Red Cross or "Geneva Cross";
(b) the emblem of a red crescent moon on, and completely surrounded by, a white ground, or the designation "Red Crescent";
(c) the following emblem in red on, and completely surrounded by, a white ground, that is to say, a lion passing from right to left of, and with its face turned towards, the observer, holding erect in its raised right forepaw a scimitar, with, appearing above the lion's back, the upper half of the sun shooting forth rays, or the designation "Red Lion and Sun";
(d) the emblem of a white or silver cross with vertical and horizontal arms of the same length on, and completely surrounded by, a red ground, being the heraldic emblem of the Swiss Confederation;
(e) a design or wording so nearly resembling any of the emblems or designations specified in the preceding paragraphs of this subsection as to be capable of being mistaken for, or, as the case may be, understood as referring to, one of those emblems.
Penalty: One hundred dollars.
(2) The Minister or a person authorized by the Minister to give consents under this section shall not refuse to give such a consent, and shall not withdraw such a consent, except for the purpose of giving effect to the provisions of the Conventions.
(3) An authority given under section four of the Geneva Convention Act 1938 and in force immediately before the commencement of this section shall be deemed to be a consent to the like effect given by the Minister under this section.
(4) Where a person is convicted of an offence against subsection (1) of this section, the court may, in addition to any fine, order the forfeiture to the Commonwealth of any goods upon or in connexion with which the emblem, designation, design or wording was used by that person.
(5) In the case of a trade mark registered before the day on which this Act received the Royal Assent, the preceding provisions of this section do not apply by reason only of its consisting of or containing an emblem or designation specified in paragraph (b) or (c) of subsection (1) of this section or a design or wording resembling such an emblem or designation; and where a person is charged with using such an emblem, designation, design or wording for any purpose and it is proved that he used it otherwise than as, or as part of, a trade mark so registered, it is a defence for him to prove:
(a) that he lawfully used that emblem, designation, design or wording for that purpose before the day on which this Act received the Royal Assent; or
(b) in a case where he is charged with using the emblem, designation, design or wording upon goods, that the emblem, designation, design or wording had been applied to the goods before he acquired them by some other person who had manufactured or dealt with the goods in the course of trade and who lawfully used the emblem, designation, design or wording upon similar goods before the day on which this Act received the Royal Assent.
(6) Where an offence against this section committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the body corporate, or a person purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be deemed to be guilty of the offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.
(7) This section extends to the use in or outside Australia of an emblem, designation, design or wording referred to in subsection (1) of this section on any ship or aircraft registered in Australia.
(8) Proceedings under this section shall not be instituted without the consent in writing of the Attorney-General.
PART V
REGULATIONS
Regulations
16.2 The Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing all matters which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.