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CRIMES
ACT 1914 SECT 15A
15A Enforcement of fines etc.
- (1)
A law of a State or Territory relating to the
enforcement or recovery of a fine imposed on an offender
applies to a person convicted in the State or Territory of
an offence against a law of the Commonwealth. The law
applies:
- (a)
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so far as it is not inconsistent with a law of the
Commonwealth; and
- (b)
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with the modifications made by or under this
section.
- (1AA)
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If a law of a State or Territory requires or permits a
person or authority other than a court to take action to
impose a penalty described in subsection (1AB) for
failure to pay a fine, the law applies under subsection (1)
as if the law did not require or permit the person or
authority to take the action but instead:
- (a)
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allowed any person to apply to a court of summary
jurisdiction of the State or Territory for an order
imposing the penalty; and
- (b)
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allowed the court to make the order; and
- (c)
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provided for the order to have the same effect that
the taking of the action by the person or authority
has under the law without the modifications made by or
under this subsection; and
- (d)
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were subject to any prescribed modifications
consequential on the other modifications described in
this subsection, or facilitating the operation of the
law with those modifications.
- (1AB)
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Subsection (1AA) applies in relation to any of the
following penalties:
- (a)
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garnishment of a debt, wage or salary;
- (b)
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a charge or caveat on property;
- (c)
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seizure of property;
- (d)
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forfeiture of property;
- (e)
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community service by a person who failed to pay a
fine;
- (f)
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detention or imprisonment of a person who failed to
pay a fine;
- (g)
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a penalty that is similar to a penalty described in
paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) or (f);
- (h)
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a penalty prescribed by the regulations.
- (1AC)
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Jurisdiction is conferred on a court of summary
jurisdiction of a State or Territory to make orders
described in subsection (1AA).
- (1ACA)
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The following provisions do not apply in relation to
subsections (1AA) and (1AC):
- (a)
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paragraph 26(d) of the Acts
Interpretation Act 1901 ;
- (b)
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paragraph 39(2)(d) of the Judiciary
Act 1903 .
Note: This subsection lets an officer of a
State or Territory court of summary jurisdiction make an
order under this section imposing a penalty for failure to
pay a fine for a Commonwealth offence if the law of the
State or Territory allows the officer to exercise the
court's powers.
- (1AD)
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If a law of a State or Territory requires or permits a
court or a court officer to:
- (a)
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refer a matter to a person or organisation; or
- (b)
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notify a person or organisation; or
- (c)
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provide information to a person or organisation;
in relation to the enforcement or recovery of a fine
imposed by the court, the law applies under subsection (1)
in relation to the Federal Court of Australia and the Family
Court of Australia in the same way as it applies to a court of
the State or Territory.
- (1A)
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Where there is a law of a State or Territory with
respect to the enforcement or recovery of fines ordered to
be paid by offenders (including a law described in
subsection (1AA)) that applies in relation to fines
ordered to be paid by offenders convicted by courts of
summary jurisdiction:
- (a)
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subsection (1) operates to require that law to
apply and be applied to persons who are convicted of
federal offences by the Federal Court of Australia in
the same manner as that law would apply and be applied
if that Court were a court of summary jurisdiction;
and
- (b)
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that subsection does not operate in relation to any
law of that State or Territory that applies in
relation to fines ordered to be paid by offenders
convicted by superior courts.
- (2)
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Without limiting the generality of subsection (1),
in the application to federal offenders of any State or
Territory laws with respect to the enforcement or recovery
of fines, a requirement that the amount of a fine be paid
to a State or Territory office or officer is to be treated
as a requirement that the amount of the fine be paid in
accordance with the law of the Commonwealth.
(3)
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Where a court imposes a sentence or sentences of
imprisonment on a person in respect of a failure to pay a
fine or fines imposed for a federal offence or offences,
the court must direct that the sentence, or all the
sentences, commence to be served from the earliest
practicable day despite the fact that the person may, on
that day, already be serving another sentence of
imprisonment for a federal, State or Territory offence.
(4)
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Despite subsection (3), a court may, where it is of
the opinion that, in all the circumstances of the case, it
is more appropriate to do so, direct that a period of
imprisonment imposed on a person in respect of a failure
to pay a fine imposed in respect of a federal offence
commence to be served during, or at the end of, a period
of imprisonment imposed for a similar failure in respect
of another federal offence.
(5)
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In this section:
modifications includes additions, omissions and
substitutions.
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