Research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has revealed the downsides of implementing COVID-19 pandemic measures through excessive fines during the strictest lockdown period in Australia’s most populous state. The report, available for download in PDF format, highlights that in New South Wales in 2021, the “on-the-spot” fines employed to punish noncompliance with public health measures were “regrettable and should be avoided in the future.” UNSW Law & Justice’s Prof. Luke McNamara explained that individuals were effectively criminalised for behaviours that previously would not have led to contact with the police or state-sanctioned punishment. The government and police should use softer methods such as engagement, education, and negotiation rather than punitive measures, the report suggests. Moreover, the report emphasizes that the issuing of these fines has damaged relations between the police and the community in the parts of the state that experienced the strictest restrictions and aggressive penalties. Recently, the government revoked over 33,000 COVID-19-related fines following a supreme court case in November 2022, ruling that the penalties given to three residents during the states’ public health lockdowns in 2021 were invalid.
‘COVID fines failed’ – report.
