This article engages in a comparative analysis of espionage law in the UK and Australia to determine whether the laws in each country are effective and appropriate. It finds that, while the espionage laws in both countries are largely capable of effectively addressing modern espionage, this has come at the expense of appropriateness – specifically, aspects of the laws in both jurisdictions are complex, uncertain and overly broad, and defences and other safeguards for legitimate conduct have limitations. The article argues that, while the effectiveness of espionage (and other national security) laws is an important consideration, this must be balanced with appropriateness to ensure that core rule of law values and legal principles are not undermined.

本文对英国和澳大利亚的间谍法进行比较分析，以确定各国的法律是否有效且适当。报告发现，虽然两国的间谍法在很大程度上能够有效应对现代间谍活动，但这是以牺牲适当性为代价的——具体而言，两个司法管辖区的法律各方面都很复杂、不确定且过于宽泛，而且防御和其他方面合法行为的保障措施有局限性。文章认为，虽然间谍法（和其他国家安全法）的有效性是一个重要考虑因素，但必须与适当性相平衡，以确保核心法治价值观和法律原则不被破坏。