Wednesday, 22 June 2022

Bills

Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill 2022

Introduction and first reading

Ms HUTCHINS (Sydenham—Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (09:34): I move:

That I introduce a bill for an act to amend the Crimes Act 1958 to create a new offence of engaging in grossly offensive public conduct and to abolish the common law offence of outraging public decency, to amend the Summary Offences Amendment (Decriminalisation of Public Drunkenness) Act 2021 to extend its default commencement date and for other purposes.

Motion agreed to.

Mr M O’BRIEN (Malvern) (09:34): I ask the minister to give a brief explanation of the bill.

Ms HUTCHINS (Sydenham—Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support) (09:34): The bill introduces a new contemporary statutory offence for grossly offensive public conduct. It is an unrelated amendment. The bill will also apply to conduct which occurs in public places or is seen and heard from a person in a public place. It will not apply to online offensive conduct, and it contains defences for good faith and reasonable conduct in the public’s interest including genuine political activity, art or science.

Read first time.

Ordered to be read second time tomorrow.