sec.73Obstruction of prescribed officer and destruction of official traffic signs to be an offence

### sec.73 Obstruction of prescribed officer and destruction of official traffic signs to be an offence Any person who— obstructs the chief executive, a superintendent, a holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or a chief executive officer of a local government in the exercise of powers under this part or chapter 5 , part 6 ; or obstructs any person acting under an authority given under section 71 in the exercise of the powers under this part or chapter 5 , part 6 had by the person by virtue of such authority; or without lawful authority demolishes, destroys, pulls down, erases, removes, defaces or otherwise damages or interferes with an official traffic sign; shall be guilty of an offence. Maximum penalty—40 penalty units or 6 months imprisonment. A person guilty of an offence against any provision of subsection (1) shall also be liable to pay the amount of the expenses of making good any damage occasioned by the offence. The court convicting the person of the offence may, whether an application or complaint is made in respect thereof or not, order the person to pay such amount or such amount may be recovered by either the chief executive or a local government or any person duly authorised by the chief executive or a local government, either generally or in the particular case, by action in any court of competent jurisdiction. Without limit to the power of a police officer or any other person thereunto authorised by some other provision of this Act to prosecute an offence against subsection (1) — an offence against subsection (1) committed in relation to the chief executive or the holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or any person acting under the authority of either of them, or in relation to an official traffic sign installed on a road by the said chief executive or holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or any person acting under the authority of either of them, may be prosecuted by the chief executive or holder or by any person thereunto authorised by the chief executive; and an offence against subsection (1) committed in relation to the chief executive officer of a local government or a local government or a person acting under the authority of the chief executive officer of a local government or local government, or in relation to an official traffic sign installed on a road or an off-street regulated parking area in its area by the local government may be prosecuted by the chief executive officer or by any person thereunto authorised by the chief executive officer. s 73 prev s 73 om 1997 No. 66 s 125 pres s 73 (prev 1949 Geo 6 No. 26 s 12E) ins 1959 8 Eliz 2 No. 55 s 9 sub 1965 No. 26 s 11 amd 1971 No. 33 s 8 ; 1994 No. 7 s 3 sch ; 1999 No. 42 s 54 (1) sch amdts 24–25 reloc 1999 No. 42 s 54 (1) sch amdt 28 (sec.73-ssec.1) Any person who— obstructs the chief executive, a superintendent, a holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or a chief executive officer of a local government in the exercise of powers under this part or chapter 5 , part 6 ; or obstructs any person acting under an authority given under section 71 in the exercise of the powers under this part or chapter 5 , part 6 had by the person by virtue of such authority; or without lawful authority demolishes, destroys, pulls down, erases, removes, defaces or otherwise damages or interferes with an official traffic sign; shall be guilty of an offence. Maximum penalty—40 penalty units or 6 months imprisonment. (sec.73-ssec.2) A person guilty of an offence against any provision of subsection (1) shall also be liable to pay the amount of the expenses of making good any damage occasioned by the offence. (sec.73-ssec.3) The court convicting the person of the offence may, whether an application or complaint is made in respect thereof or not, order the person to pay such amount or such amount may be recovered by either the chief executive or a local government or any person duly authorised by the chief executive or a local government, either generally or in the particular case, by action in any court of competent jurisdiction. (sec.73-ssec.4) Without limit to the power of a police officer or any other person thereunto authorised by some other provision of this Act to prosecute an offence against subsection (1) — an offence against subsection (1) committed in relation to the chief executive or the holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or any person acting under the authority of either of them, or in relation to an official traffic sign installed on a road by the said chief executive or holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or any person acting under the authority of either of them, may be prosecuted by the chief executive or holder or by any person thereunto authorised by the chief executive; and an offence against subsection (1) committed in relation to the chief executive officer of a local government or a local government or a person acting under the authority of the chief executive officer of a local government or local government, or in relation to an official traffic sign installed on a road or an off-street regulated parking area in its area by the local government may be prosecuted by the chief executive officer or by any person thereunto authorised by the chief executive officer. - (a) obstructs the chief executive, a superintendent, a holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or a chief executive officer of a local government in the exercise of powers under this part or chapter 5 , part 6 ; or - (b) obstructs any person acting under an authority given under section 71 in the exercise of the powers under this part or chapter 5 , part 6 had by the person by virtue of such authority; or - (c) without lawful authority demolishes, destroys, pulls down, erases, removes, defaces or otherwise damages or interferes with an official traffic sign; - (a) an offence against subsection (1) committed in relation to the chief executive or the holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or any person acting under the authority of either of them, or in relation to an official traffic sign installed on a road by the said chief executive or holder of a prescribed office under the Crown, or any person acting under the authority of either of them, may be prosecuted by the chief executive or holder or by any person thereunto authorised by the chief executive; and - (b) an offence against subsection (1) committed in relation to the chief executive officer of a local government or a local government or a person acting under the authority of the chief executive officer of a local government or local government, or in relation to an official traffic sign installed on a road or an off-street regulated parking area in its area by the local government may be prosecuted by the chief executive officer or by any person thereunto authorised by the chief executive officer.