Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

CRIMINAL CODE 2002 - SECT 709A

    (1)     A person commits an offence if the person causes or threatens to cause a detriment to someone else with the intention that the other person or a third person will—

        (a)     not participate in a criminal investigation; or

        (b)     give false or misleading evidence in a criminal investigation; or

        (c)     withhold true evidence in a criminal investigation; or

        (d)     give a false or misleading interpretation as an interpreter in a criminal investigation; or

        (e)     assist a witness to communicate evidence as an intermediary in a criminal investigation in a way that makes the evidence false or misleading; or

        (f)     improperly make a decision as a participant in a criminal investigation; or

        (g)     improperly influence a participant in a criminal investigation.

Maximum penalty: 500 penalty units, imprisonment for 5 years or both.

    (2)     In this section, a person participates in a criminal investigation if the person participates in the investigation as a witness, victim or legal practitioner or is otherwise assisting police with their inquiries.