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Canberra Today 12°/16° | Saturday, March 30, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Plan to move drink drivers out of the courts

SIMON Corbell says ACT Policing could issue criminal infringement notices for seven more offences under a proposal being considered by the government.

A discussion paper has been released for public comment on the proposal that would provide for clear and timely penalties while freeing-up the courts from having to hear cases on a range of low-level offences.

“The paper proposes seven additional offences be included in the ACT’s Criminal Infringement Notice Scheme,” Simon said.

“This would include level-two drink driving offences (0.05 to 0.079) for first time offenders so that penalties would be clear and swift once the offence is committed.

“The penalties proposed could include a default disqualification period, a fine and demerit points.

“Of 703 level-two drink driving offences to go before the courts between 1 July 2012 and 31 August 2015, fines ranged from between $50 and $3000, with a median of $300, while only 85 resulted in good behaviour orders.

“Other offences being considered include fighting, offensive behaviour and failure to obey a move-on direction by police, as well as new low-level offences of damage property, minor theft or making off without payment, where the amount involved is $500 or less.

“Criminal infringement notices are designed as an alternative to court proceedings but do not operate as a substituted form of prosecution and trial. Payment of an infringement notice is not an admission of guilt.

“In order to make sure that the courts are able to properly consider any drink-driving history the government is also considering changing the definition of ‘repeat offender’, for drink driving offences only, to include people who have been issued a criminal infringement notice for drink driving offences.

“Stakeholders and the community have six weeks to comment on legal and practical issues they believe may arise from making the seven additional offences subject to criminal infringement notices.

“The key objective to expanding the scheme is to lessen the burden on the Director of Public Prosecutions and the courts in prosecuting low-level criminal activity and allowing the police to focus on more proactive policing activities,” Mr Corbell said.

The discussion paper is available at justice.act.gov.au. Consultation closes on Monday 7 March 2016.

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