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About the INQUIRY 

On 2 April 2025, the Minister for Police and Emergency Services introduced the Police Powers and Responsibilities (Making Jack’s Law Permanent) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (Bill) into the Queensland Parliament. The Bill was referred to the Justice, Integrity and Community Safety Committee for detailed consideration.

View: Explanatory speech
View: Bill 
View: Explanatory Notes 
View: Statement of compatibility

The Bill proposes to expand the existing ‘Jack’s Law’ provisions which currently allow police officers to use a hand held scanner to detect knives or other weapons in certain places.

In particular, the Bill proposes to:

• make Jack’s Law permanent by removing the current sunset clause which schedules its expiry on 30 October 2026
• allow a police officer to use a hand held scanner in a ‘relevant place’ without the need to obtain an authority to do so from a senior officer
• expand the application of Jack’s Law to allow a police officer to use a hand held scanner in public places, which are not ‘relevant places’, provided they first obtain authority to do so from a senior officer
• improve policing efficiencies by making amendments to the legislative framework provided in the Police Powers and Responsibilities Act 2000.

The Bill also amends:

• the Terrorism (Preventative Detention) Act 2005 to extend the operation period from 16 December 2025 to 16 December 2040
• the Marine Rescue Queensland Act 2024 to clarify that Marine Rescue Queensland is a charitable institution in relation to the receiving of a gift, donation, bequest or legacy
• the State Emergency Service Act 2024 to confirm that any previous appointment of a person as a State Emergency Service (SES) member is valid.

Further information

Further information including written briefings, correspondence, response to submissions, transcripts and answers to questions taken on notice will be available under the Related Publications tab.

Call for submissions

The committee invited submissions on any aspect of the Bill, from all interested parties. Submissions closed on Tuesday, 15 April 2025. Submissions considered and accepted by the committee will be published on the Submissions Tab above.

PUBLIC PROCEEDINGS

The committee will hold a public hearing and a public briefing (by officers of the Queensland Police Service) in Brisbane on Wednesday, 30 April 2025. 

See timeline below for further information.

Committee’s report

The committee is due to table its report on Friday, 23 May 2025. The report will be published here.

Once the committee’s report has been tabled, the Government has three months to respond to the report’s recommendations (if any). At that time, the Government Response will be published here.

Timeline