Adeshola Ore and Benita Kolovos reporting in The Guardian.
Last year, the New South Wales government was forced to withdraw about 33,000 Covid fines totalling more than $30m after conceding they were too vague. It followed test cases in the supreme court lodged by Redfern Legal Centre that raised serious concerns about their lawfulness.
Victoria police said anyone who receives a penalty notice could request a review by Fines Victoria, but wider action on fines would be a matter for the state government.
The report, released by the Inner Melbourne Community Legal centre, found Indigenous people – who make up 1% of Victoria’s population – accounted for 30% of Covid fines in some regional parts of the state like Mildura. Overall, First Nations people accounted for nearly 3% of all fines.
