Crimes Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2017 introduced to increase the Commonwealth ‘penalty unit’ from $180 to $210 from 1 July 2017 and defer the first automatic 3 year CPI adjustiment to 1 July 2020

The Government introduced the Crimes Amendment (Penalty Unit) Bill 2017 into the House of Reps 16.2.2017 (see APH Bill Tracker).

It proposes to amend the Crimes Act 1914 to increase the amount of the Commonwealth ‘penalty unit’ from $180 to $210, with effect from 1 July 2017.

It would also delay the first automatic adjustment of the penalty unit to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 1 July 2018 until 1 July 2020, with indexation to occur on 1 July every 3 years thereafter.

The various offences created, in taxation and superannuation law, will be affected by this (unless there is only a ‘jail’ penalty).

It will also affect the various administrative penalties specified in taxation and superannuation law, in terms of ‘penalty units’.

[LTN 30, 16/2/17] [FJM]