Western Australian Consolidated Acts

LIQUOR CONTROL ACT 1988 - SECT 20

20 .         Contempt etc.

        (1)         Where — 

            (a)         at, or on the way to or from, a hearing by the licensing authority — 

                  (i)         a member, the Director or any other officer of the licensing authority is wilfully insulted by any person; or

                  (ii)         a person hinders, obstructs, threatens or assaults any such officer, or any party or witness;

            (b)         a person wilfully interrupts the proceedings of the licensing authority; or

            (c)         in relation to proceedings before the licensing authority, a person — 

                  (i)         does any other act or thing; or

                  (ii)         refuses or neglects to do any act or thing,

                in respect to those proceedings which, had that conduct occurred in respect to proceedings of the District Court, would have rendered that person liable to apprehension under section 63 of the District Court of Western Australia Act 1969 ,

                the chairperson may report the matter to the District Court, and the District Court has jurisdiction to deal with the matter as if it were a contempt of the District Court.

        (1a)         If subsection (1) applies to an act or omission by a person and that act or omission is also an offence under this Act, the person is not liable to be punished twice.

        (2)         Effect shall be given to subsection (1) in relation to any hearing or proceedings before the licensing authority, however constituted.

        (3)         A person who — 

            (a)         having been served with a summons to attend before the Commission fails, without reasonable excuse, to attend in obedience to the summons;

            (b)         having been served with a summons to produce records to the Commission fails, without reasonable excuse, to comply with the summons; or

            (c)         refuses to be sworn or to affirm, or to answer a relevant question, when required to do so by a member,

                commits an offence.

        Penalty: $5 000.

        (4)         Commitment or a fine under this section — 

            (a)         does not exempt a person from obeying any summons to appear before the Commission, to answer any relevant question or to produce any records; or

            (b)         prejudice any proceedings taken or to be taken under section 158.

        [Section 20 amended by No. 12 of 1998 s. 10(8); No. 73 of 2006 s. 17 and 106.]