Latest news with #CrimesAct1900
The Australian
9 hours ago
- The Australian
Viral parking trick could land Aussies in jail, lawyer warns
Australians are being warned against a viral parking trick that can lead to serious consequences. A law expert is warning motorists of the significant penalties that come with a growing trend that sees people wiping away chalk-marked tyres from parked vehicles. Council parking rangers often use chalk to determine if a driver has overstayed in a timed parking space. However, this deceptive tactic is becoming increasingly common for avoiding parking fines. Criminal lawyer Avinash Singh from Astor Legal is warning of potential fines and even imprisonment after a TikTok video with over a million views showed footage of someone dousing water on chalk-marked car tyres. A viral TikTok shows someone dousing water on chalk-marked tyres. Picture: wxirua/TikTok MORE: 'Like Tinder': Huge problem with Aussie cars While some online users praised the act, Avinash Singh says anyone caught in the act opens themselves up to fines worth over $750 or a penalty of up to 25 years imprisonment. 'Removing chalk off a tyre could be seen as attempting to pervert the course of justice. This is because the removal of chalk would hinder a parking ranger from carrying out their duties and prevent them from issuing a fine,' Avinash said. A city ranger giving parking infringement notices to street parked cars. Picture: NCA NewsWire / James Gourley Although there isn't a national law against removing chalk, each state and territory has specific regulations concerning the interference with official enforcement tools. In South Australia, the practice of removing chalk has become so widespread that the state has applied a specific law addressing the removal of chalk. 'In South Australia, a specific law had to be introduced due to how common removing chalk became,' Avinash said. Under Section 174AB of the Road Traffic Act 1961, it states it's an offence to remove a parking inspector's chalk from a vehicle. The maximum fine for this is $750. In New South Wales, the act could fall under Section 319 of the Crimes Act 1900, which addresses attempts to pervert the course of justice, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. MORE: 'Truly impressive': Australia's Westworld unveiled A viral TikTok shows someone dousing water on chalk-marked tyres. Picture: wxirua/TikTok A viral TikTok shows someone dousing water on chalk-marked tyres. Picture: wxirua/TikTok Similarly, in Queensland and Western Australia, attempting to obstruct justice under their respective Criminal Codes can result in up to 7 years imprisonment. While in Victoria, the common law offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice can lead to a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment. While law experts and council officers aren't amused, there are legal defences motorists can use if they are caught removing chalk marks. Avinash explains further that the most common legal defence if an offender is caught is proving that they were not the person who removed the chalk. A city ranger is seen putting a parking fine on a car. Picture: NewsWire / Jenny Evans MORE: 'Words are f***': China's Aus turf war explodes 'A parking ranger would need to witness you removing the chalk or have some sort of video or CCTV footage showing you removing the chalk. 'Without this, they could not prove that another person had removed the chalk, and the charge would be dismissed.' Avinash also explains that if a driver has been issued a parking fine, they can contest it and request evidence that they were timed correctly. 'This is usually in the form of timestamped photos that a parking ranger has taken,' Avinash said. James Chung Digital Content Creator James is a Digital Content Creator at and is part of the News Corp Australia's digital real estate team. His previous experience includes working for Sky News Australia.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
Viral parking trick could land Aussies in jail
Australians are being warned against a viral parking trick that can lead to serious consequences. A law expert is warning motorists of the significant penalties that come with a growing trend that sees people wiping away chalk-marked tyres from parked vehicles. Council parking rangers often use chalk to determine if a driver has overstayed in a timed parking space. However, this deceptive tactic is becoming increasingly common for avoiding parking fines. Criminal lawyer Avinash Singh from Astor Legal is warning of potential fines and even imprisonment after a TikTok video with over a million views showed footage of someone dousing water on chalk-marked car tyres. While some online users praised the act, Avinash Singh says anyone caught in the act opens themselves up to fines worth over $750 or a penalty of up to 25 years imprisonment. 'Removing chalk off a tyre could be seen as attempting to pervert the course of justice. This is because the removal of chalk would hinder a parking ranger from carrying out their duties and prevent them from issuing a fine,' Avinash said. Although there isn't a national law against removing chalk, each state and territory has specific regulations concerning the interference with official enforcement tools. In South Australia, the practice of removing chalk has become so widespread that the state has applied a specific law addressing the removal of chalk. 'In South Australia, a specific law had to be introduced due to how common removing chalk became,' Avinash said. Under Section 174AB of the Road Traffic Act 1961, it states it's an offence to remove a parking inspector's chalk from a vehicle. The maximum fine for this is $750. In New South Wales, the act could fall under Section 319 of the Crimes Act 1900, which addresses attempts to pervert the course of justice, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years imprisonment. Similarly, in Queensland and Western Australia, attempting to obstruct justice under their respective Criminal Codes can result in up to 7 years imprisonment. While in Victoria, the common law offence of attempting to pervert the course of justice can lead to a maximum penalty of 25 years imprisonment. While law experts and council officers aren't amused, there are legal defences motorists can use if they are caught removing chalk marks. Avinash explains further that the most common legal defence if an offender is caught is proving that they were not the person who removed the chalk. 'A parking ranger would need to witness you removing the chalk or have some sort of video or CCTV footage showing you removing the chalk. 'Without this, they could not prove that another person had removed the chalk, and the charge would be dismissed.' Avinash also explains that if a driver has been issued a parking fine, they can contest it and request evidence that they were timed correctly. 'This is usually in the form of timestamped photos that a parking ranger has taken,' Avinash said.
9 News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- 9 News
Why you should never remove chalk marks from your parked car
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A criminal lawyer is warning Australians about the potential consequences of removing chalk marks from their tyres before a parking inspection is complete. A recent TikTok depicting an individual removing chalk marks from multiple car tyres has gone viral and sparked online conversation. But Avinash Singh, from Astor Lega has warned of the potential consequences of the act. "Removing chalk off a tyre could be seen as attempting to pervert the course of justice. This is because the removal of chalk would hinder a parking ranger from carrying out their duties and prevent them from issuing a fine," he said. The video sparked debate, with Singh criticising the video, the comment section was flooded with people showing support for the stunt. In NSW, Section 319 Crimes Act 1900 makes it an offence to do any act or omission intending in any way to pervert the court of justice. Chalk mark on car tyre from parking inspectors ( South Australia is the only state that has a specific law that addresses this issue due to the issue becoming so widespread. Section 174AB of the Road Traffic Act 1961 makes it an offence to remove a parking inspector's chalk from a vehicle. The maximum fine this offense can carry is a $750 fine. "If a driver finds that a fine has been issued, they can contest the fine and ask for evidence that they were timed correctly. This is usually in the form of timestamped photos that a parking ranger has taken," says Singh. parking national Cars Fines driving Australia TikTok CONTACT US
Perth Now
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
New law to close horror ‘loophole'
The NSW government is set to introduce groundbreaking reforms aimed at bolstering support for victims of sexual violence across the state and closing a loophole that left a shocking crime unpunished in some cases. The Minns Labor Government is set to introduce a suite of reforms to parliament next week, bringing NSW into line with relevant Commonwealth offences and increasing protections from sexual exploitation. A new provision to the Crimes Act 1900 will ensure sexual offenders who either sexually assault someone or indecently interfere with their body after death are unable to escape prosecution when the time of death is unknown, making which specific crime occurred unclear. The new provision means when it is clear 'beyond a reasonable doubt 'that one of these two crimes occurred, but it is uncertain due to the timing of death which one, the accused will be sentenced with whichever offence has the lesser maximum penalty. Previously they would have been unpunished. Groundbreaking reforms aimed at bolstering support for victims of sexual violence across the state will be introduced to parliament next week. NewsWire / Simon Bullard. Credit: News Corp Australia The government says the reform is in 'direct response' to issues that arose in the inquest of Mona Lisa and Jacinta Rose 'Cindy' Smith in 2024, and the tireless advocacy of their families for reform. The penalty for indecently assaulting a deceased person will also be increased and criminalising female genital mutilation will also be strengthened. Other amendments to the act will redefine the age threshold for child abuse material offences, raising it from 16 to 18 years, aligning with Commonwealth standards. These reforms are designed to close existing legislative gaps and ensure the safety and wellbeing of children. The Crimes Act will also be amended to 'make it easier to prosecute people who commit sexual acts in the presence of children', the Minns government said in a statement. Changes to the act will also be made to ensure female genital mutilation is considered a crime regardless of the reason or motivation or age of the victim, while ensuring medically necessary practices are protected. The legislation, to be introduced in Parliament the day after the Minns Labor Government hands down the 2025-2026 NSW budget, comes after changes around domestic violence offences. These changes included making it harder for alleged domestic violence offenders to get bail, and introducing electronic monitoring for alleged serious domestic violence offenders. It also strengthened laws to protect against repeated breaches of ADVOs, and made changes to bail courts across NSW to ensure bail decisions are made by magistrates and judges – not registrars. The NSW government is set to introduce new reforms aimed at bolstering support for victims of sexual violence across the state. Photo: NewsWire/ Gaye Gerard Credit: News Corp Australia Attorney-General Michael Daley said the Minns Labor Government stands with victim-survivors. 'We are ensuring that women and children are better protected from sexual abuse and exploitation,' he said. 'Our Government is closing loopholes and strengthening the law to make it easier to prosecute those who commit acts of sexual violence. 'I thank the families of Mona Lisa and Jacinta Rose 'Cindy' Smith for their bravery and advocacy in the face of tragedy to strengthen New South Wales laws to better protect victims.' Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Jodie Harrison said the government is 'working to build a safer New South Wales for women and children'. 'Sexual and abuse and exploitation is unacceptable, at the same time as we are investing in support services for victim survivors, we are ensuring that perpetrators are held to account,' she said. 'We will continue to work with experts, advocates and victim survivors to address the impact of domestic and sexual violence across our state.'
