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NSW Law Reform Commission consultation on penalty notices
19 Jan 2011
Read the Commission's submission in response to the NSW Law Reform Commission’s consultation paper about the laws relating to the use of penalty notices in NSW.
Penalty notices are routinely issued to children for a range of offences. However, unlike adults, children and young people have a limited capacity to earn money and can struggle to meet the financial cost of the fine incurred.
This can both create financial hardship for children and young people and limit the effectiveness of the penalty notice system, given their incapacity to pay. Penalty notices can have disproportionate, detrimental long-term effects on children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The Commission acknowledges the importance of supporting children to take responsibility for their actions. However, the Commission does not support the issuing of penalty notices to persons under 18 years of age.
The submission also includes a series of four recommendations.
