Breaking News : NSW Supreme Court Withdraws 33,000 Covid Fines

In breaking news, today in New South Wales, Tens of thousands of dollars in covid fines will be cancelled after a Supreme Court ruling it found two covid fines issued during Sydney's lockdown were invalid.Show more

Redfern Legal Center Lawyer, Samantha Lee, brought the case on behalf of 3 clients who received fines between $1000 and $3000 dollars in 2021.

Rather than NSW Police take the simple approach of education, we now know the heavy-handed enforcement approach by police apart from being at tremendous expense of public monies, that it WAS unjust.

33,000 fines to be withdrawn or refunded, that's ALOT of the rule of law NOT being followed by Police.

Lawyer Samantha Lee was also responsible for causing a review back in June 2021 when she called
for covid fines issued to those with a disability as well as children to be withdrawn.

3840 fines were issued to children between 13 and 17 years old.

One of her clients, Rohan Pank was fined for simply sitting in a park.

NSW public money was used to fund a barrister to represent the NSW State a role usually performed
by Police Prosecutors, which highlights the desperate extent the NSW Government went to, in order to uphold its Covid 19 enforcement over a public education response.

Only conceding today before the start of the trial admitting the fines did not adequately describe the offense and are therefore invalid.

Revenue New South Wales will now withdraw a total of more than 33000 fines, and it means that
those who have already paid the covid fines will receive a refund.

Scott Johnston from Revenue NSW said the decision was made in the interest of being "consistent
and equitable" and refunding the close to $10 million that has already been paid, will start immediately.

Barrister Katherine Richardson SC, who represented the plaintiffs said afterwards her clients "had in effect been forced to take the "extraordinary step" of going to the Supreme Court after other unsuccessful attempts to have the fines reviewed, failed.

“It's only at the eleventh hour the Crown has finally accepted these were invalid, "she said.

Whilst this case is not binding here in WA it highlights there was a consistent response by State Governments towards heavy handed enforcement a far departure from the Community Policing, where it was very clear early on there was a massive departure from the rule of law.

It also highlights, the course of action a person must take to defend unjust fines of this nature with it having to go all the way to a Supreme Court.

As well as an outcome of this nature would not have been possible unless lawyers like Samantha Lee stand up and take on these cases.

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