Public Meetings Act 1912 (SA)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT, 1912 PUBLIC MEETINGS ACT, 1912

being

The Public Meetings Act, 1912, No. 1082 of 1912

[Assented to 14 November 1912]

as amended by

Statute Law Revision Act, 1934, No. 2168 of 1934 [Assented to 15 November 1934]
An Act for the prevention of disorderly conduct at public meetings.

BE IT ENACTED by the Governor of the State of South Australia, with the advice and consent of the Parliament thereof, as follows:

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Public Meetings Act, 1912.

Interpretation

2. In this Act "place" includes any place whatsoever, whether the same is or is not a hall, room, or building, or part thereof.

Misbehaviour at public meeting an offence

3. Anypersonwhoin,at,ornearanyplacewhereapublicmeetingisbeingheld—

I.	behaves in a riotous, disorderly, indecent, offensive, threatening, or insulting manner; or
II.	uses any threatening, abusive, or insulting words or word; or
III.	in any way whatsoever, except by lawful authority or on some other lawful ground, obstructs or interferes with any of the proceedings at such meeting, or with the chairman for the time being presiding at such meeting in the conduct thereof,

shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten dollars or to

imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding one month.

Power of chairman to deal with misbehaviour at meeting

4. (1) Where in the opinion of the chairman for the time being presiding at any public meeting any person in, at, or near the place where such meeting is being held—

I.            behaves in a riotous, disorderly, indecent, offensive, threatening, or insulting manner; or

II.          uses any threatening, abusive, or insulting words or word; or

III.         in any way whatsoever, except by lawful authority or on some other lawful ground, obstructs or interferes with any of the proceedings at such meeting, or with such chairman in the conduct of such meeting,

such chairman may verbally direct any member of the police force, or the police generally, to
remove such person from such place or the neighbourhood thereof.

(2) Upon such direction being given it shall be the duty of the member of the police force to whom it was addressed, or if it was not addressed to any particular member of the said force, then of any member of the said force present in, at, or near such place, to remove such person according to the said direction.

(3) If such person, or any other person, obstructs or interferes with any member of the police force in the performance of his duty under this section he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding ten dollars or to imprisonment, with or without hard labour, for a term not exceeding one month, in addition to any penalty or imprisonment awarded against him or to which he may be liable, for any offence against section 3.

Summary proceedings

5. All proceedings in respect of offences against this Act shall be disposed of summarily.

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