(1) Where ASIC has reason to believe that a person has committed a
prescribed offence, ASIC may, subject to subsection (2), give the person
a notice in the prescribed form:
- (a)
- alleging that the person has committed
the prescribed offence and giving the prescribed particulars in relation to
the prescribed offence; and
- (b)
- setting out the prescribed penalty in respect of the prescribed offence;
and
- (c)
- stating:
- (i)
- in the case of a prescribed offence constituted by a failure to do a
particular act or thing:
(A) that the obligation to do the act or thing continues despite the service
of the notice or the payment of the prescribed penalty; and
(B) that if, within the period specified in the notice (being
a period of at least 21 days), the person pays the
prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the
notice and does the act or thing, no further action will
be taken against the person in relation to the
prescribed offence; and
(C) that if, at the end of the period specified in the
notice, the person has not paid the prescribed penalty to
the authority specified in the notice or has not done the
act or thing, proceedings may be instituted against the
person; or
- (ii)
- in the case of a prescribed offence,
not being an offence constituted by a failure to do a
particular act or thing:
(A) that if, within the period specified in the notice (being a period of at
least 21 days), the person pays the prescribed penalty to the authority
specified in the notice, no further action will be taken against the person in
relation to the prescribed offence; and
(B) that if, at the end of the period specified in the
notice, the person has not paid the prescribed penalty to
the authority specified in the notice, proceedings may be
instituted against the person.
(2) Subsection (1)
does not empower ASIC:
- (a)
- to give a person more than
one notice under that subsection in relation to an
alleged commission by that person of a particular
prescribed offence; or
- (b)
- to give a person a notice under that subsection in relation to a
prescribed offence unless proceedings could be instituted against that person
for that offence in accordance with section 1316.
(3) A notice under subsection (1) may be given to a natural person either
personally or by post.
(4) Where a notice under subsection (1) is given to a person in relation
to a prescribed offence constituted by a failure to do a particular act or
thing:
- (a)
- if, within the period specified in the notice, the person pays
the prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the notice, and does the
act or thingno proceedings may be instituted against the person in
respect of the prescribed offence; or
- (b)
- if, at the end of the period specified in the notice, the person has paid
the prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the notice but has not
done the act or thingno proceedings may be instituted against the person
in respect of the prescribed offence, but the obligation to do that act or
thing continues, and section 1314 applies in relation to the continued
failure to do that act or thing as if, on the day on which the person so paid
the prescribed penalty, the person had been convicted of an offence
constituted by a failure to do that act or thing; or
- (c)
- if, at the end of the period specified in the notice, the person has not
paid the prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the notice but had
done the act or thingproceedings may be instituted against the person in
respect of the prescribed offence; or
- (d)
- if, at the end of the period specified in the notice, the person has not
paid the prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the notice and has
not done the act or thingthe obligation to do that act or thing
continues, and proceedings may be instituted against the person in respect of
the prescribed offence.
(5) Where a notice under subsection (1) is given to a person in relation
to a prescribed offence, not being an offence constituted by a failure to do a
particular act or thing:
- (a)
- if, within the period specified in the notice,
the person pays the prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the
noticeno proceedings may be instituted against the person in respect of
the prescribed offence; or
- (b)
- if, at the end of the period specified in the notice, the person has not
paid the prescribed penalty to the authority specified in the
noticeproceedings may be instituted against the person in respect of the
prescribed offence.
(6) The payment of an amount by a person pursuant to a notice served on the
person under this section in relation to a prescribed offence is not taken for
any purpose to be an admission by that person of any liability in connection
with the alleged commission of the prescribed offence.
(7) Except as provided by paragraphs (4)(a) and (b) and (5)(a), this
section does not affect the operation of any provision of this Act, of the
regulations, of the rules or of any other Act in relation to the institution
of proceedings in respect of offences that are prescribed offences for the
purposes of this section.
(8) In this section:
"authority" includes a person.
"prescribed offence" means:
- (a)
- a subsection 1311(5) offence; or
- (b)
- an offence against this Act that the regulations prescribe for the
purposes of this section.
"prescribed penalty", in relation to a prescribed offence in relation to which
ASIC may give, or has given, to a person a notice under subsection (1),
means:
- (a)
- if the offence is a subsection 1311(5) offence:
- (i)
- if the regulations prescribe in relation to the offence for the purposes
of this paragraph an amount not exceeding one half the amount of the penalty
applicable to the offence:
(A) if the person is a body corporatea penalty of five times the amount
so prescribed; or
(B) otherwisea penalty of the amount so prescribed; or
- (ii)
- otherwise:
(A) if the person is a body corporatea penalty of 1.25 times the amount
of the penalty applicable to the offence; or
(B) otherwisea penalty of 0.25 times the amount of the
penalty applicable to the offence; or
- Note:
Section 1311 provides for the penalty applicable to
an offence.
- (b)
- otherwisea penalty of the amount that the regulations prescribe in
relation to the offence.
subsection 1311(5) offence means an offence the penalty applicable to which is
provided for by subsection 1311(5).