Legal Beagle by Graeme Edgeler

Agree. But I think s375 of the Criminal Procedure Act prevents a Judicial Officer from entering a conviction if the offence can be an infringement offence, no matter how the proceedings were bought to court.

It will be better to be charged with a Category 1 offence, as the Judicial Officer is unlikely to fine you $1000 and you won't get a conviction anyway.

Excellent submission, but surely problem littering should be included within the Summary Offences Act, along with other public nuisance low-level offences? Why does it warrant a stand-alone statute in the first place?

Because National wanted to give Scott Simpson something to do? Preferably something that does not involve being interviewed on Morning Report.

a bill whose sole purpose is to change a “$400” to a “$1000” in one section of the Litter Act.

All it will do will piss off a lot people who will then cry its PC culture gone mad.

An excellent submission Graeme. Thank you.
And I would add that a moral, education approach to littering from Kindergarten School on-wards is essential. We must all be taught/shown that litter here goes there .. into gutters, rivers, the sea; into animals.
I collect litter very walk [in a plastic bag re-used again and again] along the beach, QE Park and sometimes roads in Peakakariki where I live, but there is just too much to do other than an occasional pick up along the waterfront or streets of Wellington.