Summary
The assessment of on-the-spot penalties for minor offenses offers the incentive of a reduced penalty and saves those detecting the offense from having to prosecute. The alleged offender escapes court proceedings and, for most purposes, also avoids the stigma of a conviction. Technical advances in the detection of on-the-spot offenses by devices such as speed and red-light cameras as well as in the computerized processing of cases has led to greater reliance on this means of law enforcement. The amount of revenue generated by on-the-spot fines has grown substantially. Not only has the use of this diversionary measure greatly expanded in Victoria, but the underlying model has been altered to include more punitive sanctions. This book's chapters examine the legal and criminological aspects of this feature of the criminal justice system, along with the broader implications of the surveillance techniques upon which it depends. The author suggests model infringement legislation designed to restrain the degree of punishment and the collateral consequences that may be attached to this class of offense.