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TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1997 - SECT 570

Pecuniary penalties for contravention of civil penalty provisions

  (1)   If the Federal Court is satisfied that a person has contravened a civil penalty provision, the Court may order the person to pay to the Commonwealth such pecuniary penalty, in respect of each contravention, as the Court determines to be appropriate.

  (2)   In determining the pecuniary penalty, the Court must have regard to all relevant matters, including:

  (a)   the nature and extent of the contravention; and

  (b)   the nature and extent of any loss or damage suffered as a result of the contravention; and

  (c)   the circumstances in which the contravention took place; and

  (d)   whether the person has previously been found by the Court in proceedings under this Act to have engaged in any similar conduct.

  (3)   The pecuniary penalty payable under subsection   (1) by a body corporate is not to exceed:

  (a)   in the case of a contravention of subsection   68(1) or (2) or 101(1) or (2)--$10 million for each contravention; or

  (aa)   in the case of a contravention of subsection   317ZA(1) or (2)--47,619 penalty units for each contravention; or

  (ab)   in the case of a contravention of subsection   581Y(1) or 581ZD(1)--10,000 penalty units for each contravention; or

  (b)   in any other case--$250,000 for each contravention.

  (4)   The pecuniary penalty payable under subsection   (1) by a person other than a body corporate is not to exceed:

  (a)   in the case of a contravention of subsection   68(1) or (2) that relates to the carrier licence condition set out in Part   1 of Schedule   1 in so far as that condition relates to subsection   97(1) or (1A) of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 --10,000 penalty units for each contravention; or

  (b)   in any other case--$50,000 for each contravention.

  (4A)   Subsections   (3) and (4) do not apply to a contravention of subsection   139(1) or (2).

  (4B)   Section   25 of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 applies to a contravention of subsection   139(1) or (2) of this Act in a corresponding way to the way in which it applies to a contravention of subsection   12(1) or (2) of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 , subject to the following modifications:

  (a)   each reference in section   25 of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 to subsection   24(1) of that Act includes a reference to subsection   (1) of this section;

  (b)   each reference in section   25 of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 to a civil penalty provision includes a reference to subsection   139(1) or (2) of this Act;

  (c)   each reference in section   25 of the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 to a civil penalty order includes a reference to an order under subsection   (1) of this section.

  (4C)   Subsection   (4) does not apply to a contravention of subsection   317ZA(1) or (2).

  (4D)   The pecuniary penalty payable under subsection   (1) by a person other than a body corporate for a contravention of subsection   317ZA(1) or (2) is not to exceed 238 penalty units for each contravention.

  (5)   If conduct constitutes a contravention of 2 or more civil penalty provisions, proceedings may be instituted under this Act against a person in relation to the contravention of any one or more of those provisions. However, the person is not liable to more than one pecuniary penalty under this section in respect of the same conduct. This subsection has effect subject to subsection   (6).

  (6)   If conduct constitutes a contravention of:

  (a)   section   68 or 101; and

  (b)   one or more other civil penalty provisions;

proceedings must not be instituted under this Act against the person in relation to the contravention of section   68 or 101, as the case may be.

  (7)   In this section:

"this Act" includes the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 and regulations under that Act.


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