Fines Penalties Infringement Notices Enforcement Act amended

October 31, 1995

The Government has introduced a number of amendments to the Fines Penalties Infringement Notices Enforcement Act (1994), Assisting Justice Minister Kevin Minson announced today.

Mr Minson said the amendments would guarantee the legal validity of licence suspension notification procedures for fine default.

The new Fines Management System was introduced by the Government in January this year to recoup $13 million in outstanding fines and to reduce the imprisonment rate of fine defaulters serving mainly short-term periods in police lock-ups.

"In 1994, 6,800 fine defaulters were imprisoned," Mr Minson said.

"The new legislation will significantly reduce that number and to date no one has been imprisoned for fine default since it was introduced.

"Initial indications are that the system is proving very successful, with many people who have received a fine or infringement notice under the new legislation electing to pay without the need for Government enforcement."

Unfortunately, some doubt had been cast over the legal validity of certain parts of fine enforcement procedures, particularly as they related to the prosecution of people driving under licence suspension.

"The thrust of the legislation is proper and is already achieving considerable benefits for the community," Mr Minson said.

The Minister said the role of police officers in fine enforcements had been significantly reduced.  This meant that police time could be more effectively directed towards combating serious and violent crime.

In addition, there had been an enormous reduction in the number of work and development orders, freeing up Government resources.

"However, as a result of certain legal interpretations of the Act, amendments to the legislation are needed to fine tune the current procedures which prove that an offence took place and that a fine remains unpaid," the Minister said.

Mr Minson said once the amendments to the legislation passed through Parliament, licence suspensions would continue as normal and he encouraged people to continue paying their fines before the system caught up with them.

Media contact:  Diana Russell Coote 421 7777