Public meetings
18A Public meetings
A person who, in, at or near a place where a public meeting is being held—
behaves in a disorderly, indecent, offensive, threatening or insulting manner; or
uses threatening, abusive or insulting words; or
in any way, except by lawful authority or on some other lawful ground, obstructs or interferes with—
a person seeking to attend the meeting; or
any of the proceedings at the meeting; or
a person presiding at the meeting in the organisation or conduct of the meeting, is guilty of an offence.
Maximum penalty: $1 250 or imprisonment for 3 months.
Where, in the opinion of the person presiding at a public meeting, a person in, at or near the place at which the meeting is being held—
is or has been behaving in a disorderly, indecent, offensive, threatening or insulting manner; or
is or has been using threatening, abusive or insulting words; or
in any way, except by lawful authority or on some other lawful ground, is or has been obstructing or interfering with—
a person seeking to attend the meeting; or
any of the proceedings at the meeting; or
a person presiding at the meeting in the organisation or conduct of the meeting, the person presiding may request a police officer, or the police generally, to remove that person from the place or the area in the vicinity of the place.
A request made under subsection (2) must be complied with by a police officer present or attending at the place at which the meeting is being held.
In this section—
person presiding, in relation to a public meeting, includes any person officiating at, or with responsibility for the organisation or conduct of, the meeting;
place means any place whether or not a hall, building or room;
public meeting includes any political, religious, social or other meeting, congregation or gathering that the public or a section of the public are permitted to attend, whether on payment or otherwise.
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