Animal Welfare Act 1993

In the course of performing functions or exercising powers under this Act, an officer may require any person to do one or more of the following:provide his or her name and address to the officer; answer any question relating to the health or welfare of an animal or to any other matter to which this Act applies.

When requiring a person to provide an answer under subsection (1)(b), the officer is to inform the person that the answer provided is not admissible against the person in any criminal or civil proceedings other than proceedings for an offence against this section.

A person must comply with a requirement made under subsection (1). In the case of – a body corporate, a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units; or a natural person, a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both.

In complying with a requirement made under subsection (1), a person must not provide information or an answer that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular. In the case of – a body corporate, a fine not exceeding 250 penalty units; or a natural person, a fine not exceeding 50 penalty units or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both.

An answer provided by a person in complying with a requirement made under subsection (1)(b) is not admissible against the person in any criminal or civil proceedings, other than in proceedings for an offence against this section.

For the avoidance of doubt, an officer may perform a function, or exercise a power, under this section in respect of a person, regardless of whether – the person is in Tasmania or elsewhere; or compliance with a requirement under this section requires information, or documents, that are in Tasmania or elsewhere.