[no bill text published] Criminal Offence for Disturbing Religious Assemblies and Defacing Places of Worship
Justice Miscellaneous (Prohibited Symbols and Protection of Worship) Bill 2026
1st House
2nd House
Law
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
It is a criminal offence to obstruct, intimidate, menace or harass people attending a religious assembly.
Damaging, marking or defacing a place of worship is a crime.
People cannot publicly display prohibited symbols without a legitimate public purpose.
Police can order the removal of a prohibited symbol by affixing a written direction to it.
Police can stop vehicles, detain people and search possessions to ensure prohibited symbols are removed.
Police can seize any object that displays a prohibited symbol.