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CRIMES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1998

                 PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA

                 Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998
                                 Act No.


                     TABLE OF PROVISIONS
Clause                                                                   Page
  1.     Purpose                                                            1
  2.     Commencement                                                       2
  3.     Loitering near places frequented by children                       2
  4.     New section 590 inserted                                           3
         590. Transitional provision--Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998           4
  5.     New sections 248 to 252 substituted                                4
         248. Interpretation                                                4
         249. Contaminating goods with intent to cause public alarm or
              economic loss                                                 5
         250. Threatening to contaminate goods with intent to cause
              public alarm or economic loss                                 5
         251. Making false statements concerning contamination of
              goods with intent to cause public alarm or economic loss      6
         252. Territorial nexus for offences                                6
  6.     Amendment of section 360A                                          7
                            

NOTES                                                                       9




                                     i
532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA A BILL to amend the Crimes Act 1958 and for other purposes. Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 The Parliament of Victoria enacts as follows: 1. Purpose The purpose of this Act is-- (a) to make further provision for offences relating to loitering near places frequented 5 by children; (b) to make further provision for offences relating to the contamination of goods; (c) to make further provision relating to legal representation of an accused. 1 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 2 Act No. 2. Commencement (1) Subject to sub-section (2), this Act comes into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent. 5 (2) Section 5 comes into operation on 1 January 1999. 3. Loitering near places frequented by children No. 6231. (1) In section 60B of the Crimes Act 1958 for sub- Reprint No. 14 section (1) substitute-- as at 1 July 1998. '(1) In this section, "sexual offence" means-- 10 (a) an offence against section 38, 39, 40, 44(1), 44(2), 44(4), 45, 46, 47, 47A, 48, 49, 55 or 56; or (b) any offence specified in clause 8, 9, 10 or 12 of Schedule 8; or 15 (c) an offence of conspiracy to commit, incitement to commit or attempting to commit an offence referred to in paragraph (a) or (b).'. (2) In section 60B(2) of the Crimes Act 1958-- 20 (a) in paragraph (a) after sub-paragraph (i) insert-- "(ia) an offence against-- (A) section 5, 6, 7 or 11 of the Prostitution Control Act 1994; 25 or (B) section 6, 7, 8 or 9 of the Prostitution Regulation Act 1986; or (C) section 59(1)(a) or (b) or 60 30 inserted in this Act on 1 March 1981 by section 5 of the Crimes (Sexual Offences) Act 1980 and 2 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 4 Act No. repealed on 5 August 1991 by section 3 of the Crimes (Sexual Offences) Act 1991; or"; (b) for "a summary offence punishable on 5 conviction by level 8 imprisonment (1 year maximum) or a level 8 fine (120 penalty units maximum)" substitute "an offence". (3) In section 60B of the Crimes Act 1958, after sub- section (2) insert-- 10 "(2A) An offence against sub-section (2) is-- (a) an indictable offence for which the offender is liable to level 6 imprisonment (5 years maximum) or a level 6 fine (600 penalty units 15 maximum) if at the time of the commission of the offence the offender had previously been sentenced as a serious sexual offender (within the meaning of Part 2A of the Sentencing 20 Act 1991) for a sexual offence (within the meaning of that Part) or a violent offence (within the meaning of that Part); or (b) a summary offence for which the 25 offender is liable to level 7 imprisonment (2 years maximum) or a level 7 fine (240 penalty units maximum) in any other case.". 4. New section 590 inserted 30 After section 589 of the Crimes Act 1958 insert-- 3 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 5 Act No. "590. Transitional provision--Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 (1) The amendments of section 60B of this Act made by section 3 of the Crimes 5 (Amendment) Act 1998 apply only to offences alleged to have been committed after the commencement of section 3. (2) If an offence is alleged to have been committed between two dates and section 3 10 of the Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 commences on a date between those two dates, for the purposes of sub-section (1) the offence must be taken to have been alleged to have been committed before the 15 commencement of that section.". 5. New sections 248 to 252 substituted For section 248 of the Crimes Act 1958 substitute-- '248. Interpretation 20 (1) In this Division-- "contaminate", in relation to goods, includes-- (a) interfere with the goods; or (b) making it appear that the goods 25 have been contaminated or interfered with; "goods" includes any substance-- (a) whether or not for human consumption; and 4 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 5 Act No. (b) whether natural or manufactured; and (c) whether or not incorporated or mixed with other goods. 5 (2) In this Division, a reference to economic loss caused through public awareness of the contamination of goods includes a reference to economic loss caused through-- (a) members of the public not purchasing 10 or using those goods or similar goods; or (b) steps taken to avoid public alarm or anxiety or to avoid harm to members of the public. 15 249. Contaminating goods with intent to cause public alarm or economic loss A person must not contaminate goods with the intention of-- (a) causing public alarm or anxiety; or 20 (b) causing economic loss through public awareness of the contamination. Penalty: Level 5 imprisonment (10 years maximum) or a level 5 fine (1200 penalty units maximum) or 25 both. 250. Threatening to contaminate goods with intent to cause public alarm or economic loss (1) A person must not make a threat that goods 30 will be contaminated with the intention of-- (a) causing public alarm or anxiety; or 5 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 5 Act No. (b) causing economic loss through public awareness of the contamination. Penalty: Level 5 imprisonment (10 years maximum) or a level 5 fine 5 (1200 penalty units maximum) or both. (2) For the purposes of this section, a threat may be made by any conduct, and may be explicit or implicit and conditional or unconditional. 10 251. Making false statements concerning contamination of goods with intent to cause public alarm or economic loss (1) A person must not make a statement that the person believes to be false-- 15 (a) with the intention of inducing the person to whom the statement is made or others to believe that goods have been contaminated; and (b) with the intention of thereby-- 20 (i) causing public alarm or anxiety; or (ii) causing economic loss through public awareness of the contamination. 25 Penalty: Level 5 imprisonment (10 years maximum) or a level 5 fine (1200 penalty units maximum) or both. (2) For the purposes of this section, making a 30 statement includes conveying information by any means. 252. Territorial nexus for offences 6 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 6 Act No. It is immaterial that the conduct of a person constituting an offence under this Division occurred outside Victoria, so long as the person intended by that conduct-- 5 (a) to cause public alarm or anxiety in Victoria; or (b) to cause economic loss in Victoria through public awareness of the contamination.'. 10 6. Amendment of section 360A After section 360A(3) of the Crimes Act 1958 insert-- "(4) Despite anything to the contrary in sub- section (2)-- 15 (a) if the court is satisfied that, in relation to the trial, the accused has engaged in vexatious or unreasonable conduct that has contributed to the accused's inability to afford the full cost of 20 obtaining from a private practitioner legal representation in the trial, the court may refuse to make an order under sub-section (2); (b) the legal burden of proof for the 25 purposes of sub-section (2)(b) that the accused is unable to afford the full cost of obtaining legal representation rests on the accused; (c) for the purposes of proving under sub- 30 section (2)(b) that the accused is unable to afford the full cost of obtaining legal representation, regard must be had to property-- (i) that is subject to the effective 35 control of the accused (whether or 7 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 s. 6 Act No. not the accused has an interest in it); or (ii) in which the accused has an interest-- 5 as determined in accordance with section 9 or 10 of the Confiscation Act 1997; (d) a reference in sub-section (2) to the provision of assistance to the accused is 10 a reference to the provision of legal representation; (e) the conditions that may be specified by the court under sub-section (2) do not include conditions relating to the 15 identity, number or remuneration of persons representing the accused; (f) the court must give Victoria Legal Aid an opportunity to appear and be heard before an order is made under sub- 20 section (2). (5) Despite anything to the contrary in section 17A of the Supreme Court Act 1986, Victoria Legal Aid may appeal to the Court of Appeal, with leave of the Court of Appeal, 25 from an order under sub-section (2) of the Trial Division constituted by a Judge. (6) This section, as amended by section 6 of the Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998, applies to and with respect to an order made by a court 30 under sub-section (2) of this section after the commencement of that section, whether proceedings relating to the relevant trial commenced before or after that commencement.". 35 8 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 Notes Act No. NOTES By Authority. Government Printer for the State of Victoria. 9 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

Crimes (Amendment) Act 1998 Act No. 10 532150B.I1-6/10/98

 


 

 


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