New legislation in Western Australia has introduced stiff penalties for ignoring exclusion orders, with offenders potentially facing fines of up to $36,000 or three years in prison. Police have invoked emergency powers to bar at least a dozen activists from a secure zone surrounding the upcoming Land Forces weapons expo at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. The move has drawn criticism, with activists and a Greens MP warning they may pursue legal challenges against the restrictions. The bans were issued under recently expanded authorities granted to law enforcement by the state government.
Under new WA laws anyone who defies an exclusion order could face a maximum $36,000 fine and three years in prisonGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastActivists and a Greens MP have threatened legal action after the Western Australia police banned at least 12 people entering a designated security area where the Land Forces weapons expo will be held in Perth from 6 October.The police used special powers given to them by the WA government last month to ban the activists from entering the area surrounding the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Continue reading...
