53AInfringement notices

##### 53A. Infringement notices (1) A reference in subsection (2), (3), (5) or (7) to an authorised person is a reference to a person appointed under subsection (11) to be an authorised person for the purposes of the subsection in which the term is used. (2) An authorised person who has reason to believe that a person has committed a prescribed offence against this Act or the by‑laws, other than a by‑law made under section 23(1)(w), may, at or about the time the alleged offence is believed to have been committed, give an infringement notice to the alleged offender. (3) An infringement notice under this section shall be in the prescribed form and shall in every case — (a) contain a description of the alleged offence; and (b) advise that if the alleged offender does not wish to be prosecuted for the alleged offence in a court, the amount of money specified in the notice as being the modified penalty for the offence may be paid to an authorised person within a period of 28 days after the giving of the notice; and (c) inform the alleged offender as to who are authorised persons for the purposes of receiving payment of modified penalties. (4) In an infringement notice under this section the amount specified as being the modified penalty for the offence referred to in the notice shall be the amount that was the prescribed modified penalty under section 23(1)(ze) at the time the alleged offence is believed to have been committed. (4A) The modified penalty that may be prescribed under section 23(1)(ze) for an offence is not to exceed 20% of the maximum penalty that could be imposed for that offence by a court. (5) An authorised person may, in a particular case, extend the period of 28 days within which the modified penalty may be paid and the extension may be allowed whether or not the period of 28 days has elapsed. (6) Where the modified penalty specified in an infringement notice under this section has been paid within 28 days or such further time as is allowed and the notice has not been withdrawn, the bringing of proceedings and the imposition of penalties are prevented to the same extent as they would be if the alleged offender had been convicted by a court of, and punished for, the alleged offence. (7) An authorised person may, whether or not the modified penalty has been paid, withdraw an infringement notice under this section within 28 days after the giving of the notice by sending to the alleged offender a notice in the prescribed form stating that the infringement notice has been withdrawn. (8) Where an infringement notice under this section is withdrawn after the modified penalty has been paid, the amount shall be refunded. (9) The amount of any modified penalty paid pursuant to an infringement notice shall, subject to subsection (8), be dealt with as if it were a fine imposed by a court as a penalty for an offence. (10) Payment of a modified penalty shall not be regarded as an admission for the purposes of any proceedings, whether civil or criminal. (11) The Authority may, in writing, appoint persons or classes of persons to be authorised persons for the purposes of subsection (2), (3), (5) or (7) or for the purposes of 2 or more of those subsections, but a person who is authorised to give infringement notices under subsection (2) is not eligible to be an authorised person for the purposes of any of the other subsections. (12) The Authority shall issue to each person who is authorised to give infringement notices under this section a certificate stating that the person is so authorised, and the authorised person shall produce the certificate whenever required to do so by a person to whom he has given or is about to give an infringement notice. [Section 53A inserted: No. 64 of 1994 s. 33; amended: No. 78 of 1995 s. 51; No. 31 of 2003 s. 139(1); No. 84 of 2004 s. 80; No. 19 of 2010 s. 60(4); No. 40 of 2022 s. 7.] [Part IV: s. 54A deleted: No. 87 of 1990 s. 8(1); s. 56‑58 deleted: No. 98 of 1985 s. 3; s. 60 deleted: No. 87 of 1990 s. 14; s. 54, 54AA, 54B‑54E, 54EA, 54F‑54H, 54J‑54M, 55 and 59 deleted: No. 31 of 2003 s. 118.]