Crimes Act 1914

Part III - Offences relating to the administration of justice  

Division 4 - Perverting the course of justice  

SECTION 44   COMPOUNDING OFFENCES  

44(1)    
A person (the first person ) commits an offence if:

(a) the first person:

(i) asks for, receives or obtains any property, or benefit, of any kind for himself or herself or another person; or

(ii) agrees to receive or to obtain any property, or benefit, of any kind for himself or herself or another person; and

(b) the first person does so upon an agreement or understanding that the first person will:

(i) compound or conceal an offence; or

(ii) abstain from, discontinue or delay a prosecution for an offence; or

(iii) withhold evidence of an offence; and

(c) the offence referred to in paragraph (b) is an indictable offence against a law of:

(i) the Commonwealth; or

(ii) a Territory.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 3 years.

44(2)    
Absolute liability applies to the paragraph (1)(c) element of the offence.

Note:

For absolute liability, see section 6.2 of the Criminal Code .