Gene Technology Act 2003

In this section:

See the Criminal Code, pt 2.5 for provisions about corporate criminal responsibility.

the person’s knowledge, intention, opinion, belief or purpose; and

the person’s reasons for the intention, opinion, belief or purpose.

This section applies to a prosecution for any offence against this Act.

If it is relevant to prove a person’s state of mind about an act or omission, it is enough to show—

the act was done or omission made by a representative of the person within the scope of the representative’s actual or apparent authority; and

the representative had the state of mind.

An act done or omitted to be done on behalf of a person by a representative of the person within the scope of the representative’s actual or apparent authority is also taken to have been done or omitted to be done by the person.

However, subsection (4) does not apply if the person establishes that reasonable precautions were taken and appropriate diligence was exercised to avoid the act or omission.

A person who is convicted of an offence cannot be punished by imprisonment for the offence if the person would not have been convicted of the offence without subsection (3) or (4).