Victorian Numbered Acts

ABORIGINAL HERITAGE AMENDMENT ACT 2016 (NO. 11 OF 2016) - SECT 127

After section 187 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act   2006 insert —

        " 187A     Criminal liability of officers of bodies corporate—failure to exercise due diligence

    (1)     If a body corporate commits an offence against a provision specified in subsection (2), an officer of the body corporate also commits an offence against the provision if the officer failed to exercise due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence by the body corporate.

    (2)     For the purposes of subsection (1), the following sections are specified—

        (a)     section 14(1);

        (b)     section 17(3);

        (c)     section 19(2);

        (d)     section 21A(3);

        (e)     section 24(2);

        (f)     section 27(1), (3) and (5);

        (g)     section 28;

        (h)     section 33(1);

              (i)     section 34(1);

        (j)     section 34A(5);

        (k)     section 41A;

        (l)     section 46(2), (4) and (6);

        (m)     section 67A(1), (3) and (5);

        (n)     subject to subsection (6), section 74G(1), (3) and (5);

        (o)     section 79G(1) and (2);

        (p)     section 79H(1), (3) and (5);

        (q)     section 83(3);

        (r)     section 95(1);

        (s)     section 95C(1);

        (t)     section 95F(1);

        (u)     section 102(1) and (3);

              (v)     section 108(1) and (3);

        (w)     section 110(6);

              (x)     section 147A(1) and (2).

    (3)     In determining whether an officer of a body corporate failed to exercise due diligence, a court may have regard to—

        (a)     what the officer knew, or ought reasonably to have known, about the commission of the offence by the body corporate; and

        (b)     whether or not the officer was in a position to influence the body corporate in relation to the commission of the offence by the body corporate; and

        (c)     what steps the officer took, or could reasonably have taken, to prevent the commission of the offence by the body corporate; and

        (d)     any other relevant matter.

    (4)     Without limiting any other defence available to the officer, an officer of a body corporate may rely on a defence that would be available to the body corporate if it were charged with the offence with which the officer is charged and, in doing so, the officer bears the same burden of proof that the body corporate would bear.

    (5)     An officer of a body corporate may commit an offence against a provision specified in subsection (2) whether or not the body corporate has been prosecuted for, or found guilty of, an offence against that provision.

    (6)     This section does not apply to an officer performing a statutory function for or on behalf of any public land manager performing any work for the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

    (7)     In this section—

"officer" , in relation to a body corporate, means—

        (a)     a person who is an officer (as defined by section 9 of the Corporations Act) of the body corporate; or

        (b)     a person (other than a person referred to in paragraph (a)), by whatever name called, who is concerned in, or takes part in, the management of the body corporate.

        187B     Time for bringing proceedings

    (1)     Despite anything to the contrary in any Act, proceedings for an offence against this Act may be commenced within the period of 3 years after the commission of the alleged offence.

    (2)     Subsection (1) does not apply to indictable offences.".