Hello.

I was at a NSW Local Court of a small traffic matter recently.

It got me thinking:

There is no verification of ID at the entrance, or anywhere else, in the Local Court.

My Friend could have shown up & claimed "I am John Noodle" and no-one would be none the wiser. Legal Aid lawyers don't know what you look like unless and until you show up for your first hearing!

Which makes me think that Fraud is, must be, very prominent in the NSW Local Court system.

This also means that if you want to avoid showing up for a day and just want to pay someone $30 to show up in your place, it would be very easy to do, as there are no ID checks.

Has anyone even thought about how much false-appearance fraud there is in the actual Local Court system?

On 15-Nov-23 12:29 pm, Noodle wrote:
> Hello.
>
> I was at a NSW Local Court of a small traffic matter recently.
>
> It got me thinking:
>
> There is no verification of ID at the entrance, or anywhere else, in the Local Court.
>
> My Friend could have shown up & claimed "I am John Noodle" and no-one would be none the wiser. Legal Aid lawyers don't know what you look like unless and until you show up for your first hearing!
>
> Which makes me think that Fraud is, must be, very prominent in the NSW Local Court system.
>
> This also means that if you want to avoid showing up for a day and just want to pay someone $30 to show up in your place, it would be very easy to do, as there are no ID checks.
>
> Has anyone even thought about how much false-appearance fraud there is in the actual Local Court system?

What exactly is the fraud you think is occurring, beyond some
impersonation by consent? How would justice not be done?

Sylvia.

Hello.

> What exactly is the fraud you think is occurring, beyond some impersonation by consent?

Just that. Nothing else.

> How would justice not be done?

It would.

However, the current situation where a person needs to take time off work to show up (the actual Administration of Justice) is more onerous than the $400 Fine I recieved.

Next time, I will just pay my unemployed mate to go in my place, while I go to work as per normal, and get whatever Fine is dished out.

NSW should change the law to not require you to go in person, but until it does, it is better to do this kind of fraud.

On 15-Nov-23 12:53 pm, Noodle wrote:
> Hello.
>
>> What exactly is the fraud you think is occurring, beyond some impersonation by consent?
>
> Just that. Nothing else.
>
>> How would justice not be done?
>
> It would.
>
> However, the current situation where a person needs to take time off work to show up (the actual Administration of Justice) is more onerous than the $400 Fine I recieved.
>
> Next time, I will just pay my unemployed mate to go in my place, while I go to work as per normal, and get whatever Fine is dished out.
>
> NSW should change the law to not require you to go in person, but until it does, it is better to do this kind of fraud.

See "Written notice of pleading".

https://www.localcourt.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/dcj/ctsd/localcourt/documents/forms/Written_Notice_of_Pleading_Form.doc

Noodle <oznoodle@gmail.com> wrote

> I was at a NSW Local Court of a small traffic matter recently.
>
> It got me thinking:
>
> There is no verification of ID at the entrance, or anywhere else, in the
> Local Court.
>
> My Friend could have shown up & claimed "I am John Noodle" and no-one
> would be none the wiser. Legal Aid lawyers don't know what you look
> like unless and until you show up for your first hearing!
>
> Which makes me think that Fraud is, must be, very prominent in the NSW
> Local Court system.
>
> This also means that if you want to avoid showing up for a day and just
> want to pay someone $30 to show up in your place, it would be very easy
> to do, as there are no ID checks.
>
> Has anyone even thought about how much false-appearance fraud there is
> in the actual Local Court system?

Can't be because the real person would show up and scream about the
imposter
and I can't think of even a single example of that actually happening.