Western Australian Numbered Acts Western Australian Numbered Acts Section 87 is repealed
and the following section is inserted instead —
“
87. Impersonating a public officer
(1) For the purposes
of this section a person impersonates a public officer if the
person —
(a)
wears what is or purports to be the uniform of a public officer; or
(b)
represents himself or herself by word or conduct to be a public officer,
when the person is not
such a public officer.
(2) A person who
impersonates a public officer and who —
(a)
purports to do or exercise; or
(b)
attends any place for the purposes of doing or exercising,
any act or power of
such a public officer is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment for
2 years.
Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for
12 months and a fine of $12 000.
(3) For the purposes
of subsection (2) it is immaterial whether the power referred to exists
at law.
(4) An allegation in a
charge of an offence under this section that at the material time the accused
was not a public officer, or not a public officer of the kind that the accused
is alleged to have impersonated, must be taken to be proved, unless the
contrary is proved.
”.