Independent Reviewer Of Security Clearance Decisions And Independent Reviewer Of Adverse Securi[...]

The Australian Government is seeking applications from suitably qualified persons for appointment as Independent Reviewer of Security Clearance Decisions and/or Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments.

Independent Reviewer of Security Clearance Decisions:

The role of Independent Reviewer of Security Clearance Decisions is to review, under the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Act 1979 (section 83ED), certain security clearance decisions made by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that are not eligible for external review through the Administrative Review Tribunal.

The responsibilities of the Independent Reviewer of Security Clearance Decisions include:

• conducting reviews on the papers of eligible security clearance decisions, as needed
• communicating with the affected person, the Director-General of Security and ASIO officers as appropriate
• following a review, providing a written opinion to the Director-General of Security about whether the decision under review was reasonably open to have been made
• complying with requirements relating to the protection or handling of information
• preparing statistics for inclusion in ASIO’s annual report.

Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments:

The Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments conducts independent advisory reviews of adverse security assessments (ASAs) furnished by ASIO to the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) in relation to people who remain in immigration detention, have been found by Home Affairs to be owed protection obligations under international law, and are ineligible for a permanent protection visa or have had their permanent protection visa cancelled because they are the subject of an ASA.

The responsibilities of the Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments include:

• conducting reviews on the papers of eligible ASAs, as needed
• communicating with the affected person, the Director-General of Security and ASIO and Home Affairs officers as appropriate
• following a review, providing a written opinion to the Director-General of Security about whether the ASA was appropriate and making recommendations accordingly
• complying with requirements relating to the protection or handling of information
• preparing statistics for inclusion in ASIO’s annual report.

Minimum Requirements:

To be eligible for appointment as Independent Reviewer of Security Clearance Decisions or Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments, candidates must:

• be enrolled as a legal practitioner and have been so enrolled for a period of at least 7 years, or have at least 7 years’ experience in a subject matter relevant to the functions of the Independent Reviewer of Security Clearance Decisions or Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments
• not be, nor have been, an ASIO employee or ASIO affiliate
• hold, or be able to obtain, a security clearance that is the Commonwealth’s highest level of security clearance.

Information for Applicants:

Applicants are welcome to apply for either or both positions. The successful candidate will be appointed for a period to be determined by the Attorney-General. The time commitment for the role is determined by the number of review applications and is expected to be part-time. The successful candidate will be engaged by the Attorney General’s Department, on behalf of the Commonwealth, under a contract for services. Remuneration will be determined based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience, and will be paid an hourly/daily fee based on time worked. Work can be undertaken in any Australian capital city and some travel may be required.

Applications close at 11:59pm on 27 January 2025. Enquiries can be directed to appointments@ag.gov.au.