You are highly unlikely to receive the response you are after from Police because it is not a request for official information.

However, I can see that the information is important to you and so I am going to answer your questions for you.

In doing so, I am making an assumption that you have been issued an infringement notice for an offence under the Land Transport Act 1998 and associated regulations (eg. A speeding ticket).

1. The court hearing would be at the closest District Court. The allegation is made by Police and so there are no filing fees for the person who has received the infringement notice (the defendant).

2. They are usually held in a general court room. They can be presided over by a Magistrate or two Justices of the Peace. Rarely will it be in front of a District Court Judge.

3. It will be a criminal case, the Police will need to prove all elements of the offence beyond reasonable doubt.

4. If found guilty, the court will impose a fine. It is likely to match the infringement fee. For example, if found guilty of a $30 speeding ticket, the court will likely impose a $30 fine (however, please see my answer at 7)

5. As stated above, it is unlikely to be anything more than the infringement fee.

6. No. These are infringement offences. They are criminal proceedings in the sense that there is an allegation made by Police and it must be proved to the criminal standard, but no conviction is entered on the defendants criminal record.

7. Court costs are usually $30 and will only be imposed if you are found guilty.

This will be added to any fine that is imposed by the court.

8. No. However, you can accept guilt or simply not show up at the hearing (in which case you are almost certain to be found guilty).

If you do that, you are likely to be fined the infringement fee plus court costs of $30.

However, you can make submissions as to penalty. For example, you could tell the court that you are struggling to pay the fee.

9. No.

I hope this helps you. If there is an element of the infringement you do not agree with, remember that you can write to the enforcement authority (eg. police) and explain that first and see if they are willing to waive the fee.

If not, for $30 it can be worthwhile making that argument to an independent and impartial court. If you would like to do so, but still feel unsure then feel free to get in touch through this website. The court process is not as daunting as people make out.

All the best!