5
Wednesday, January 30, 1974
Mr. Hobley also pointed out that the evidence required to support
a demand for payment of the fixed penalty would obviously not be any less
than that required at present because non-payment would be followed by a
normal criminal prosecution.
Another point he emphasised was that a person who had been given
the opportunity to pay the fixed penalty might decline to do so and contest
the charge in the ordinary way.
However, the Attorney-General said that the new system, whilst
enabling drivers or owners to be given an opportunity to discharge their
liability by payment of a fixed penalty, did not affect the right of the
Crown to institute normal criminal proceedings where that was considered
appropriate.
Normal criminal proceedings would also be instituted if a person
who had been given the opportunity to pay the fixed penalty did not do so,
he said.
In such a case, he added, the Bill provided that the Court might
order a convicted person to pay costs up to $500.
Mr. Hobley said Part Three of the Bill concerned the additional
deterrent.
The essence of the proposal, he said, was that the persistent offender
against traffic laws should lose his right to drive for a specified poriod,
The period of disqualification will be six months on the first
occasion when a driver builds up 15 "demerit" points within a three-year
period and 12 months on any subsequent such occasion.
The Attorney-General
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.