RLC strongly supports the reform of this procedure and functions of the State Debt Recovery Office to engage with vulnerable people in a way more helpful to the public interest.
Our submission:
- agrees with the argument for a stand-alone statute on penalty notices operating in parallel to legislation applicable to fines;
- submits that agencies should develop policies about issuing penalty notices to minors or vulnerable people;
- welcomes the recent enactment of provisions in the Fines Act to enable statutory cautions and the development of the Caution Guidelines under the Fines Act;
- submits that penalty notice enforcement is too serious a governmental function to be outsourced to private contractors;
- suggests that the Fines Act mandate a maximum of 10 penalty units arising from one incident, but that there be a provision in other legislation for the Fines Act mandate not to apply.