Man fined $5K for failing to wear a mask despite citing ‘Constitutional Act of Britain’

A MAN who cited the ‘Constitutional Act in Britain’ as a reason for not needing to wear a mask in the locked down Greater Darwin area has been fined more than $5000 by police.

A man who cited the ‘Constitutional Act in Britain’ as a reason for not needing to wear a mask in the locked down Greater Darwin area has been fined more than $5000 by police. Picture: Getty Images

A MAN who cited the “Constitutional Act in Britain” as a reason for not needing to wear a mask in the locked down Greater Darwin area has been issued with an infringement notice and fined more than $5000 by police.

NT Police report the 36-year-old man entered a coffee shop in Harriet Place, in the Darwin CBD, without a mask this morning.

According to police, he “claimed that under the Constitutional Act in Britain he was not required to wear (a mask).”

NT Police Incident Controller Acting Commander Sachin Sharma said the incident was a reminder to the public that during the current lockdown in the Greater Darwin area, wearing a mask outside of the home was a legal requirement rather than a choice.

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“We are in the middle of a very serious situation now in the NT, and this kind of arrogant behaviour is not acceptable,” he said.

NT Police are increasing patrols across the Greater Darwin area to enforce compliance with lockdown measures and have warned people out and about that they can expect to be asked why they are not at home.

The penalty for failing to follow the Chief Health Officer’s Directions issued under section 56 of the Public and Environment Health Act 2011, including wearing a mask outside the home, is $5056 for an individual and $25,280 for a business.

For more information, go to coronavirus.nt.gov.au

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