get_provision_text

Returns a provision's text, its pinpoint and permanent address, its status with the compilation, and an anchor block saying how the text was checked. Use it to read and quote the law.

Parameters

Notes

• Name the provision with section_number (for example 13K) or a provision_id from get_provision_tree. For an APRA, AASB or AUASB standard held by paragraph, section_number takes the paragraph as the page cites it, for example para 28(d).
• A number can name more than one provision: a Schedule restarts its sections, a table numbers its rows. The main-body section is returned and the others are listed in other_matches. Where none stands out, the answer is AMBIGUOUS_REFERENCE with the candidates.
• as_at (YYYY-MM-DD) chooses among the compilations Advisor holds for a title in force today. For a title not in force the answer is TITLE_NOT_IN_FORCE, for any date.
• The link is the provision's permanent address, for example /l/C2004A03712/compilation_104/main/sec_13k, tied to the compilation the text was read from.

Anchor and fidelity

The anchor block says what Advisor can claim about the text against the authorised PDF:

claim states the claim in words, method says how the check was made, and authorised_pdf_page is the page number printed on the authorised PDF. parts counts how the provision's subsections and paragraphs fared. The endnotes in amendment_history are marked not_law: they record the compilation's history and are not law.

Request (get_provision_text with {"legislation_id":"C2004A03712","section_number":"13K"})

Python SDK

import asyncio, os
from mcp import ClientSession
from mcp.client.streamable_http import streamablehttp_client

async def main():
    headers = {"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['LAWATLAS_API_KEY']}"}
    async with streamablehttp_client("https://advisor.lawatlas.ai/api/mcp-http/mcp", headers=headers) as (read, write, _):
        async with ClientSession(read, write) as session:
            await session.initialize()
            result = await session.call_tool("get_provision_text", {
                "legislation_id": "C2004A03712",
                "section_number": "13K"
            })
            print(result.content[0].text)

asyncio.run(main())

curl

curl -s https://advisor.lawatlas.ai/api/mcp-http/mcp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LAWATLAS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"get_provision_text","arguments":{"legislation_id":"C2004A03712","section_number":"13K"}}}'

Response, as Advisor returned it on 10 October 2026. The tool's result is the JSON text of result.content[0].text; lists and long text are trimmed where marked "...".

{
  "schema_version": "3.5",
  "id": "21d538cf-b01a-4785-b95e-711bf9e3aae2",
  "legislation_id": "eae28dff-3ff5-48eb-af3f-38686e6f650e",
  "title_id": "C2004A03712",
  "compilation_id": "C2026C00227",
  "structure_path": "part_iii/dvs_1/sec_13k",
  "parent_id": "2ccdcd98-9d91-41b7-bce3-3fa05546cbb4",
  "type": "section",
  "number": "13K",
  "pinpoint": "s 13K",
  "heading": "Civil penalty provision for which infringement notices or compliance notices can be issued",
  "heading_contains_body_text": false,
  "text": "Civil penalty provision for breaching Australian Privacy Principles\n(1)\tAn entity contravenes this subsection if:\n(a)\tthe entity does an act, or engages in a practice; and\n(b)\tthe act or practice breaches any of the following Australian Privacy Principles:\n(i)\tAustralian Privacy Principle 1.3 (requirement to have APP privacy policy);\n(ii)\tAustralian Privacy Principle 1.4 (contents of APP privacy policy);\n(iii)\tAustralian Privacy Principle 2.1 (individuals may choose not to identify themselves in dealing with entities);\n(iv)\tAustralian Privacy Principle 6.5 (written notice of certain uses or di ...",
  "path": "ef6bb780-4492-45f4-94a1-8373257f8616.2ccdcd98-9d91-41b7-bce3-3fa05546cbb4.21d538cf-b01a-4785-b95e-711bf9e3aae2",
  "version": "80771f72-f17c-477a-8fb9-69470c700689",
  "link": {
    "url": "/l/C2004A03712/compilation_104/main/sec_13k",
    "eid": "sec_13k",
    "component": "main",
    "expression": "compilation_104",
    "structure_path": "part_iii/dvs_1/sec_13k",
    "verified_by": "toc"
  },
  "as_at_matched": "2026-06-04",
  "status": {
    "in_force": true,
    "frl_status": "InForce",
    "since": null,
    "confirmed_with_frl_at": "2026-10-09T16:37:46.550767Z",
    "frl_link": "https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2026C00227",
    "notice": "In force according to the Federal Register of Legislation, as last confirmed on the date shown.",
    "compilation": {
      "register_id": "C2026C00227",
      "compilation_no": 104,
      "check_date": "2026-10-09T16:47:33.513124Z",
      "state": "current",
      "notice": "The Federal Register listed this compilation as the current one on the check date."
    }
  },
  "anchor": {
    "state": "anchored",
    "label": "Verified",
    "qualifier": null,
    "method": "page",
    "claim": "Verified character-for-character against the authorised PDF. Checked line by line: each line of this provision's own words, its number first, was found on the authorised PDF in the order printed; its subsections and paragraphs, if any, are checked on their own.",
    "authorised_pdf_page": 88,
    "pdf_viewer_page": 106,
    "page_half": "top",
    "volume_no": 1
  },
  "parts": {
    "units": 18,
    "verified": 18,
    "heading_only": 0,
    "located_only": 0,
    "inherited": 0,
    "not_verified": 0,
    "not_assessed": 0,
    "other": 0,
    "claim": "Every part of the text above was compared with the authorised PDF unit by unit: of its 18 parts (subsections, paragraphs and so on), 18 verified character-for-character against the authorised PDF. Each part's own verdict comes with it when fetched by provision_id."
  },
  "warning": null,
  "amendment_history": {
    "not_law": true,
    "compilation": "compilation_104",
    "register_id": "C2026C00227",
    "anchor_state": "not_assessed",
    "note": "Endnotes are not law. They record this compilation's history - required by the Legislation Act 2003 s 15P and the Legislation Rules s 8 - and carry no verdict against the authorised PDF (not_assessed).",
    "total_rows": 2,
    "rows": [
      {
        "eid": "endnote_4__row_102",
        "link": "/l/C2004A03712/compilation_104/endnotes/endnote_4__row_102",
        "provision": "s 13K",
        "how_affected": "ad No 128, 2024",
        "actions": [
          "ad"
        ],
        "authorities": [
          "2024 No 128"
        ],
        "provision_eid": "sec_13k",
        "provision_component": "main",
        "provision_resolution": "exact"
      },
      {
        "eid": "endnote_4__row_103",
        "link": "/l/C2004A03712/compilation_104/endnotes/endnote_4__row_103",
        "provision": "s 13K",
        "how_affected": "am No 128, 2024",
        "actions": [
          "am"
        ],
        "authorities": [
          "2024 No 128"
        ],
        "provision_eid": "sec_13k",
        "provision_component": "main",
        "provision_resolution": "exact"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Data currency: Advisor serves the text of titles that the Federal Register of Legislation records as in force. It does not return the text of a repealed, ceased or sunset title, for any date.

• A title or a served provision carries a status block (status, or in_force in a list) with in_force, frl_status and confirmed_with_frl_at: when Advisor last confirmed the status with the Federal Register.
• Served text and search hits carry a compilation block with register_id, compilation_no, check_date and state. state is one of four values:
  • current: the Federal Register's latest list names the compilation the text comes from.
  • not_current: the Federal Register lists a newer compilation. Tell the user, and use the frl_link in the response.
  • pending_compilation: amendments have commenced that are not yet compiled, so the text does not include them.
  • not_confirmed: the Federal Register lists no current compilation, or Advisor holds no record of one. Treat it as unknown.
• TITLE_NOT_IN_FORCE and COMPILATION_NOT_CURRENT are answers, not failures. Show the user the Federal Register link in the response and do not fill the gap from another source.

Errors

Related tools

• get_provision_tree
• search_provisions, when you do not know the number