New Rules for Police Body-Worn Cameras and Surveillance Recording
Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) and Other Legislation Amendment (Body-worn Video and Other Matters) Bill 2026
1st House
2nd House
Law
This bill was sponsored by Daniel Mookhey (ALP)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
police officers can use their body-worn video camera (BWV) to record conversations with people that were previously only recordable using in-car video equipment (ICV)
a person must be told when a conversation with police is being recorded by BWV equipment
BWV recordings are classified as personal information about the person recorded, and must be retained for at least 2 years
using BWV to record under authorised police powers does not constitute using a listening device under the Surveillance Devices Act
police vehicles equipped with Mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are exempt from surveillance device offence provisions
the Director of Public Prosecutions (not the Attorney General) must now authorise prosecution of surveillance device offences
a new exception makes overt, authorised use of surveillance devices by officials exercising statutory powers lawful — including retrospectively for past use