ELIZABETH R
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth:
TO ALL to whom these Presents shall come.
GREETING:
WHEREAS, by Letters Patent dated 12 April 1988 given under the Great Seal of Australia, We instituted an Australian medal, designated and styled the Australian Fire Service Medal, for the purpose of according recognition to members of Australian fire services for distinguished service:
AND WHEREAS the Letters Patent ordained that the award of the Australian Fire Service Medal be governed by the Regulations Governing the Award of the Australian Fire Service Medal set out in the Schedule to the Letters Patent:
AND WHEREAS it is desirable that certain amendments of the Regulations be made:
KNOW YOU that We do, by these Presents. declare Our pleasure that the Letters Patent dated 12 April 1988, as amended by Letters Patent dated 5 December 1991, be further amended, but without prejudice to anything lawfully done thereunder, as set out in the Schedule.
IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.
GIVEN under the Great Seal of Australia at Our Court at St James’s on 18 December 1997
By Her Majesty’s Command,
JOHN HOWARD
Prime Minister
Schedule
Amendments of the Regulations Governing the Award
of the Australian Fire Service Medal
1. Regulation 4 (Conditions for award of the Medal)
1.1 Paragraph 4 (2) (b):
Omit “25,000,” (wherever occurring), substitute “5,000,”.
Overview
The Letters Patent of 18 December 1997 amended the regulations governing the award of the Australian Fire Service Medal, originally instituted by Letters Patent on 12 April 1988, and subsequently amended on 5 December 1991. This prerogative instrument was enacted by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in her capacity as the head of the Commonwealth of Australia. The purpose of this legislation was to make certain amendments to the conditions for the award of the Australian Fire Service Medal, specifically by reducing the number of hours required for the award of the medal from 25,000 to 5,000 hours of service, as detailed in Regulation 4(2)(b). The enacting body was the Australian Parliament, which authorised these amendments through the Queen's authority. The policy objective behind these changes was to make the recognition of distinguished service within the Australian fire services more accessible to a broader range of service members.
Scope and Application
The Australian Fire Service Medal, established under the Letters Patent of 12 April 1988, is a recognition mechanism to honour members of Australian fire services for distinguished service. The award of this medal is governed by the Regulations Governing the Award of the Australian Fire Service Medal, which have been amended through Letters Patent dated 18 December 1997 to refine the conditions under which the medal may be awarded. These regulations apply to individuals who are members of Australian fire services and are eligible for recognition due to their distinguished service. The geographic reach of this Act is national, as it pertains to the Australian fire services across the Commonwealth of Australia. There are no explicit exclusions, exemptions, or thresholds mentioned in the text, but the regulations themselves may detail specific criteria that must be met. The application and interpretation of these regulations may be further defined through subordinate instruments, which can extend or restrict the application of the Act as necessary.
Key Provisions
The main operative sections of this legislation pertain to the amendments of the Regulations Governing the Award of the Australian Fire Service Medal. Specifically, Regulation 4 (Conditions for award of the Medal) has been amended, with a notable change in paragraph 4(2)(b) (paragraph 1.1). The original reference to "25,000," has been omitted and replaced with "5,000,". This alteration modifies the eligibility criteria for the award of the medal, likely affecting the threshold for the number of hours of service or some other metric that determines qualification.
The Act imposes several obligations and requirements on the entities it governs. It mandates that the award of the Australian Fire Service Medal be governed by the amended Regulations. The amendments aim to ensure that the criteria for awarding the medal are clearly defined and updated to reflect current standards and practices. The Act requires adherence to the new thresholds and conditions specified in the amended regulations, which must be followed when evaluating applications for the medal.
In terms of offences, penalties, or civil/criminal consequences for breach, the Act does not explicitly outline specific penalties for non-compliance with the amended regulations. However, it is reasonable to infer that any failure to adhere to the updated criteria for awarding the medal could result in disputes or challenges to the validity of the award. Such disputes may be addressed through administrative or judicial review processes, where the correctness and fairness of the award could be scrutinised. Although the Act itself does not stipulate specific penalties, breaches of the regulations could potentially lead to consequences such as the revocation of the medal or other administrative actions deemed necessary to uphold the integrity of the award process.