Part 1: General Privacy Protections Section 6: Definition of "lawful authority"
This section sets out the circumstances in which a person has lawful authority to carry out interception, so the offence of unlawful interception is not committed. There are three ways in which a person may have lawful authority to carry out interception. The first is through a targeted or bulk warrant. The second is through any of the other forms of lawful interception provided for in sections 44 to 52 of the Act, such as interception in prisons or interception with consent. Thirdly, in relation to stored communications, interception is lawful if authorised by an equipment interference warrant or if it is in exercise of any statutory power for the purpose of obtaining information or taking possession of any document or other property or in accordance with a court order.
	This section also provides that interception or any other conduct authorised by a warrant under Part 2, a warrant under Chapter 1 of Part 6, or sections 44-52 of the Act is lawful for all purposes. This means that in complying with the authorisations and provisions listed above, a relevant authority or operator is not at risk of being found to be in breach of any other legal requirement.