- Council-hired top lawyers battle Joe Average over parking fines as low as $61
- By CHRISTOPHER GILLETT,
- 19/08/2014 Make a Comment
- Contributed by: SpongeBob ( 17 articles in 2014 )
Overstaying your welcome can wind up being very expensive if you fight a parking fine in court
CASH-STRAPPED Victorians wanting to challenge their parking fines are coming up against costly council-hired QCs in court.
The top lawyers are being paid with ratepayers’ money to fight people in court over parking fines as low as $61.
In what mimics a David and Goliath battle, the City of Melbourne has forked out more than $123,000 since 2012 to win cases against ordinary Victorian drivers.
Documents released under Freedom of Information laws revealed Queen’s Counsel and Senior Counsel lawyers were being regularly paid to represent the council — with some invoices coming in at more than $21,000.
Councillor Richard Foster likened the act of “unleashing” QCs on the public to using a sledgehammer to crack an egg.
“I think it’s in our interests to have a more sympathetic approach rather than unleashing QCs on people,” he said.
Outgoing chief executive Kathy Alexander said the council regularly appeared in court to prosecute parking infringements where drivers elected to have the matter heard in front of a magistrate.
“We acknowledge this has been an expensive process, but it has been a necessary one to ensure that the court understands the evidence,” Dr Alexander said. Most of the cases were related to the controversial in-ground sensor technology, which alerts parking inspectors as soon as a vehicle has overstayed.
“The City of Melbourne is working to transition the prosecution of in-ground sensor matters to its internal prosecutions team,” she said.
A total of 162 matters involving in-ground sensor technology have already proceeded to court. The City of Melbourne has about 12,000 paid parking spaces and made $41.8 million from parking fines last financial year.
The top lawyers are being paid with ratepayers’ money to fight people in court over parking fines as low as $61.
In what mimics a David and Goliath battle, the City of Melbourne has forked out more than $123,000 since 2012 to win cases against ordinary Victorian drivers.
Documents released under Freedom of Information laws revealed Queen’s Counsel and Senior Counsel lawyers were being regularly paid to represent the council — with some invoices coming in at more than $21,000.
Councillor Richard Foster likened the act of “unleashing” QCs on the public to using a sledgehammer to crack an egg.
“I think it’s in our interests to have a more sympathetic approach rather than unleashing QCs on people,” he said.
Outgoing chief executive Kathy Alexander said the council regularly appeared in court to prosecute parking infringements where drivers elected to have the matter heard in front of a magistrate.
“We acknowledge this has been an expensive process, but it has been a necessary one to ensure that the court understands the evidence,” Dr Alexander said. Most of the cases were related to the controversial in-ground sensor technology, which alerts parking inspectors as soon as a vehicle has overstayed.
“The City of Melbourne is working to transition the prosecution of in-ground sensor matters to its internal prosecutions team,” she said.
A total of 162 matters involving in-ground sensor technology have already proceeded to court. The City of Melbourne has about 12,000 paid parking spaces and made $41.8 million from parking fines last financial year.
Source: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/councilhired-top-lawyers-battle-joe-average-over-parking-fines-as-low-as-61/story-fni0fit3-1227028730354
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