Australian Customs - can they board your yacht without permission?

8:32 PM Sun 24 Oct 2010 GMT

'Customs vessels - confusion about when they can board without permission' . Click Here to view large photo

If you are spending a lazy weekend on a yacht, or sailing between ports, or if you have just arrived from overseas, can Australian Customs board your yacht to make a search without your permission and without a warrant? According to civil liberties lawyer Terry O'Gorman, the answer is an unequivocal 'NO!' Yet the publisher of one boating magazine The Coastal Passage, Bob Norson said while yacht owners thought it fair that customs officers boarded boats when they had suspicions of criminal activity, many believed they abused their powers. He said many international sailors were bypassing Australia because of the ...

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by Sail-World Roundup