New South Wales Consolidated Acts

NON-INDIGENOUS ANIMALS ACT 1987 - SECT 26

26 Obstruction of authorised officer

(1) A person shall not:

(a) hinder or obstruct an authorised officer in the exercise of any of the functions of an authorised officer under this Act,

(b) neglect or fail to comply with any direction or requirement (including any requirement to answer a question or furnish information) lawfully given or made by an authorised officer, or

(c) furnish information to an authorised officer knowing it to be false or misleading in a material particular.

Maximum penalty: 20 penalty units.

(2) A person is not guilty of an offence under this section by reason of any act of hindrance or obstruction, or any default in compliance with a requirement, unless it is established that the authorised officer:

(a) identified himself or herself as an authorised officer, and

(b) warned the person that the act or default constituted an offence.

(3) If a person, in compliance with a requirement made by an authorised officer to answer a question or furnish information, gives an answer or furnishes information that tends to incriminate the person, neither:

(a) the terms of the requirement, nor

(b) the answer or information given or furnished in compliance with the requirement,

may be used in any proceedings against the person (other than proceedings for an offence under subsection (1) (c)).