Police will be given the power to issue $100 on-the-spot fines for swearing in public under controversial new legislation in Queensland.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said the new laws, which also give police new powers to issue on-the-spot fines for public urination and disorderly conduct, would increase efficiency and save time.
She said that keeping minor offenders out of the courts would save the state between $18 million and $30 million, the Courier Mail reports.
But the new legislation, which will be introduced to parliament later this year, has drawn criticism from researchers.
An evaluation conducted by Griffith University said that the on-the-spot powers meant police would issue tickets in situations that would not be considered criminal before the courts.
The findings came from a review of data from a one-year trial of the reforms in South Brisbane and Townsville.
The NSW Ombudsman and Queensland Council of Civil Liberties have also expressed concern that offensive language fines could be issued in cases where they are not warranted.
But Police Minister Neil Roberts told the newspaper that inappropriate behaviour in public was not acceptable and would not be tolerated.
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