172Penalty notices

172 Penalty notices

172 Penalty notices

(1) An authorised officer may issue a penalty notice to a person if it appears to the officer that the person has committed a penalty notice offence.

(2) A penalty notice offence is an offence against this Act or the regulations that is prescribed by the regulations as a penalty notice offence.

(3) The Fines Act 1996 applies to a penalty notice issued under this section.

Note.

The Fines Act 1996 provides that, if a person issued with a penalty notice does not wish to have the matter determined by a court, the person may pay the amount stated in the notice and is not liable to any further proceedings for the alleged offence.

(4) The amount payable under a penalty notice issued under this section is the amount prescribed for the alleged offence by the regulations, not exceeding the maximum amount of penalty that could be imposed for the offence by a court.

(5) This section does not limit the operation of any other provision of, or made under, this or any other Act relating to proceedings that may be taken in respect of offences.

(6) In this section—

authorised officer means—

(a) a police officer, or

(b) a person employed in the Office of the Children’s Guardian who is authorised in writing by the Children’s Guardian as an authorised officer for the purposes of this section.