Commonwealth Numbered Acts

CHILD SUPPORT (ASSESSMENT) ACT 1989 No. 124 of 1989 - SECT 159

159. (1) A person who:

   (a)  makes a statement to an officer that the person knows is false or
        misleading in a material particular; or

   (b)  omits from a statement made to an officer any matter or thing without
        which the statement is, to the knowledge of the person, misleading in
        a material particular; is guilty of an offence punishable on
        conviction by imprisonment for a period not exceeding 6 months.

(2) In a prosecution of a person for an offence against subsection (1), if,
having regard to:

   (a)  the person's abilities, experience, qualifications and other
        attributes; and

   (b)  all the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence; the person
        ought reasonably to have known that the statement to which the
        prosecution relates was false or misleading in a material particular,
        the person is to be taken to have known that the statement was false
        or misleading in a material particular.

(3) A reference in subsection (1) to a statement made to an officer is a
reference to a statement made to a person exercising powers under or in
relation to this Act, whether the statement is made orally, in a document or
in any other form, and includes, for example, a statement:

   (a)  made in an application, form, notification, appeal or other document
        made, given or lodged, or purporting to be made, given or lodged,
        under this Act; or

   (b)  made in answer to a question asked of the person under this Act; or

   (c)  made in any information given, or purporting to be given, under this
        Act.