BROADCASTING SERVICES ACT 1992 - SECT 205F Civil penalty orders

BROADCASTING SERVICES ACT 1992 - SECT 205F

  (1)   If the Federal Court is satisfied that a person has contravened a civil penalty provision, the Federal Court may order the person to pay the Commonwealth a pecuniary penalty.

  (2)   An order under subsection   (1) is to be known as a civil penalty order .

Determining amount of pecuniary penalty

  (3)   In determining the pecuniary penalty, the Federal Court must have regard to all relevant matters, including:

  (a)   the nature and extent of the contravention; and

  (b)   the nature and extent of any loss or damage suffered as a result of the contravention; and

  (c)   the circumstances in which the contravention took place; and

  (d)   whether the person has previously been found by a court in proceedings under this Act to have engaged in any similar conduct.

Maximum pecuniary penalty

  (4)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of a contravention of a civil penalty provision (other than subsection   74F(1), 74G(1), 74H(1), 74J(1), 74K(1), 205AG(1) or   205E(1) or subclause   25(1) or 26(4) of Schedule   8) must not exceed the maximum pecuniary penalty that could have been imposed on the person if the person had been convicted of an offence against the provision of this Act that corresponds to the civil penalty provision.

  (5)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of a contravention of subsection   205E(1) that relates to another civil penalty provision (other than subsection   74F(1), 74G(1), 74H(1), 74J(1), 74K(1) or 205AG(1) or subclause   25(1) or 26(4) of Schedule   8) must not exceed the maximum pecuniary penalty that could have been imposed on the person if the person had been convicted of an offence against the provision of this Act that corresponds to the other civil penalty provision.

  (5AA)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of:

  (a)   a contravention of subsection   74F(1), 74G(1), 74H(1), 74J(1) or 74K(1); or

  (b)   a contravention of section   205E that relates to a contravention of subsection   74F(1), 74G(1), 74H(1), 74J(1) or 74K(1);

must not exceed:

  (c)   if the person is a body corporate--300 penalty units; or

  (d)   if the person is not a body corporate--60 penalty units.

  (5A)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of a contravention of subsection   205AG(1) must not exceed the sum of:

  (a)   whichever of the following is applicable:

  (i)   if the person is a body corporate--2,000 penalty units;

  (ii)   if the person is not a body corporate--400 penalty units; and

  (b)   if the Federal Court is satisfied that, as a result of the scheme to which the contravention relates, the person or another person has avoided becoming liable to pay an amount of interim tax--200% of the amount of interim tax avoided.

  (5B)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of a contravention of subsection   205E(1) that relates to subsection   205AG(1) must not exceed the sum of:

  (a)   whichever of the following is applicable:

  (i)   if the person is a body corporate--2,000 penalty units;

  (ii)   if the person is not a body corporate--400 penalty units; and

  (b)   if the Federal Court is satisfied that, as a result of the scheme to which the contravention of subsection   205AG(1) relates, the person or another person has avoided becoming liable to pay an amount of interim tax--200% of the amount of interim tax avoided.

  (5C)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of:

  (a)   a contravention of subclause   25(1) of Schedule   8; or

  (b)   a contravention of section   205E that relates to a contravention of subclause   25(1) of Schedule   8;

must not exceed:

  (c)   if the person is a body corporate--300 penalty units; or

  (d)   if the person is not a body corporate--60 penalty units.

  (5D)   The pecuniary penalty payable by a person in respect of:

  (a)   a contravention of subclause   26(4) of Schedule   8; or

  (b)   a contravention of section   205E that relates to a contravention of subclause   26(4) of Schedule   8;

must not exceed:

  (c)   if the person is a body corporate--2,000 penalty units; or

  (d)   if the person is not a body corporate--400 penalty units.

Penalties for continuing contraventions

  (6)   If:

  (a)   subsection   121FG(5), 121FHB(3), 121FJA(3) or 121FJD(3), section   136F or subsection   138A(3), 140A(8) or 142A(3) applies to a contravention of a civil penalty provision; and

  (b)   civil penalty orders are made against a person in respect of 2   or more contraventions of such a provision;

the court may impose one penalty in respect of both or all of those contraventions, but that penalty must not exceed the sum of the maximum penalties that could be imposed if a separate penalty were imposed in respect of each contravention.

Conduct contravening more than one civil penalty provision

  (7)   If conduct constitutes a contravention of 2 or more civil penalty provisions, proceedings may be instituted under this section against a person in relation to the contravention of any one or more of those provisions. However, the person is not liable to more than one pecuniary penalty under this section in respect of the same conduct.

Civil enforcement of penalty

  (8)   A pecuniary penalty is a civil debt payable to the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth may enforce the civil penalty order as if it were an order made in civil proceedings against the person to recover a debt due by the person. The debt arising from the order is taken to be a judgment debt.