Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2004C00892:body:0:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2004C00892
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 2747–5602

States whether pursuant to other treaties or arrangements or otherwise nor prevent the Contracting States providing assistance to each other pursuant to other treaties or arrangements.

Article 3
Central office

1. The Contracting States shall each appoint a Central Office to transmit and receive requests for the purpose of this Treaty.  Until either Contracting State designates another authority, the Central Office for Australia shall be the Attorney‑General's Department, Canberra and the Central Office for Sweden shall be the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Stockholm.

2. Requests for assistance shall be made through the Central Offices which shall arrange for the prompt carrying out of such requests.

Article 4
Refusal of assistance

1. Assistance may be refused if:
       (a) the request relates to an offence that is regarded by the Requested State as:
           (i) an offence of a political character;
           (ii) a military offence which is not also an offence under the ordinary criminal law of the Requested State; or
           (iii) an offence in respect of which the person concerned has been finally convicted, acquitted or pardoned in the Requested State or in a third State or in respect of which the Requested State has decided not to prosecute;
       (b) there are substantial grounds for believing that the request for assistance has been made to facilitate the prosecution of a person, or, in respect of Article 17, that the order has been brought about or aggravated, on account of that person's race, sex, religion, nationality or political opinions or that that person's position may be prejudiced for any of these reasons;
       (c) the request relates to an offence where the acts or omissions alleged to constitute that offence would not, if they had taken place within the jurisdiction of the Requested State, have constituted an offence;
       (d) the request relates to an offence which is committed outside the territory of the Requesting State and the law of the Requested State does not provide for the punishment of an offence committed outside its territory in similar circumstances;
       (e) the results of the request for assistance are to be used in relation to an offence which, had it been committed in the Requested State, could no longer be prosecuted by reason of lapse of time or any other reason;
       (f) the provision of the assistance sought could prejudice an investigation or proceeding in the Requested State, prejudice the safety of any person or impose an excessive burden on the resources of that State; or
       (g) the Requested State is of the opinion that the request, if granted, would seriously impair its sovereignty, security, national interest or other essential interests.

2. Before refusing to grant a request for assistance the Requested State shall consider whether