Australia to withdraw or refund tens of thousands of COVID fines

Australia's largest state will withdraw or refund tens of thousands of fines issued during the COVID pandemic after government lawyers conceded on Tuesday that some fines were invalid in a test case brought by a legal advocacy group.

Australian states and territories instituted strict restrictions during the pandemic, including limits on travel and movement outside the home. Police in New South Wales, the largest state, could issue fines of A$1,000 (AED 2,473) to individuals who breached public health orders.

Redfern Legal Centre, a free legal service, launched a test case in July on behalf of three plaintiffs arguing their fines of between A$1,000 to A$3,000, were invalid because the penalty notices did not sufficiently describe the offence.

Government lawyers conceded the plaintiff's fines did not meet legal requirements in a hearing at the New South Wales Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Shortly after, the Commissioner of Fines Administration withdrew 33,121 fines, just under half the 62,138 COVID-related fines issued. The remaining fines are unaffected by the decision.

All sanctions, including driver licence restrictions, will be stopped. Those who have already paid will be refunded.

"Today justice has been granted to three people who took on the NSW government regarding the validity of their COVID fines and won!” said Samantha Lee, acting solicitor for the plaintiffs in a statement.

Revenue NSW said the challenge was on a "technical basis" and the court's decision did not mean the offences had not been committed.

"The Commissioner of Fines Administration is able to independently review or withdraw penalty notices," said Revenue NSW in a statement.

"In this case, he has decided to exercise his statutory power to withdraw two types of Public Health Order fines."

A full judgement from presiding judge Dina Yehia is expected at a later date.

More from International

  • Trump, Putin to meet in Alaska for Ukraine talks

    US President Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on August 15 in Alaska to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, Trump said on Friday.

  • At least six troops killed in southern Lebanon explosion

    The Lebanese army said on Saturday that six soldiers were killed and others wounded in an explosion while they were inspecting a weapons depot and dismantling its contents in the southern city of Tyre.

  • Bus collision with truck kills 11, injures 45 in Brazil

    A crash between a bus and a truck in Brazil's center-western state of Mato Grosso killed 11 people and injured another 45 late Friday, the toll road operator and Brazil's federal highway police said on Saturday.

  • UK, US host meeting on Ukraine

    British foreign minister David Lammy and US Vice President JD Vance are meeting Ukrainian and European allies in Britain on Saturday to discuss President Donald Trump's push for peace in Ukraine, a spokesperson for Downing Street said.

  • 120 Al-Shabaab militants killed in Somalia

    Somali Minister of Defence Ahmed Moalim Fiqi confirmed that 120 Al-Shabaab militants were killed during an offensive in Bariire, with several others captured alive.