LTL Fines Teachers' Resource

Learning the law, first edition produced April 2015.
© 2015 State of Victoria (Department of Education and Training) and Victoria Legal Aid.

Produced by Department of Education and Training and Victoria Legal Aid

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Disclaimer: The material in this publication is a general guide only. It is not legal advice. If you or your students need to, please get legal advice about your own particular situation.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to Ashwood, Berendale, Heatherwood and Marnebek schools. Thank you to Warringa Park School for working with us in 2012 on the first stage of this project.

About the Department of Education and Training

The Department of Education and Training (DET) offers learning and development support, services and resources for all Victorians, from birth through to adulthood.

DET provides education and development services to children, young people and adults both directly through government schools and indirectly through the regulation and funding of early childhood services, non-government schools and training programs.

DET’s mission is to ensure a high-quality and coherent birth-to-adulthood learning and development system to build the capability of every Victorian.

DET is a learning organisation. In its relationships with colleagues, children and young people, adult learners, parents and families, partners and local and global communities DET commits to the following values:

· collaboration and knowledge sharing

· outcomes

· respect and diversity

· empowerment.

About Victoria Legal Aid

Victoria Legal Aid is a government-funded agency set up to ensure that people who cannot afford to pay for a private lawyer can get help with their legal problems. We provide free information for all Victorians, family dispute resolution for disadvantaged families, provide lawyers on duty in most courts and tribunals in Victoria, and fund legal representation for people who meet our eligibility criteria. We help Victorian people with legal problems about criminal matters, family breakdown, child protection, family violence, child support, immigration, social security, mental health, discrimination, guardianship and administration, tenancy and debt.

For help with legal problems, call Legal Help on 1300 792 387

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For more information on this resource and Learning the law

Please email or call (03) 9269 0234 and ask for Publications.

Contents

About Learning the law 5

What is Learning the law? 5

What is in this teachers’ resource? 5

Lesson plans 6

Planning the lessons 6

What are the learning outcomes? 6

What LTL tools will you need? 6

What technology will you need? 6

Lesson one 7

Lesson two 8

Lesson three 9

Glossary 10

The film – Fines 11

Summary 11

Transcript 11

Length 12

Discussion questions – first view 12

Further discussion questions – subsequent views 12

Activity 1 – What do these words mean? 13

About this activity 13

Interacting with this activity 13

Discussion questions 13

Legal answers 13

myki 14

Fines 16

Activity 2 – What was the problem here? 19

About this activity 19

Interacting with this activity 19

Discussion and answers 19

What was the problem here? 19

What does the law say? 20

Time for a quiz 20

Activity 3 – What can Raymond do now? 21

About this activity 21

Interacting with this activity 21

Discussion and answers 21

What can Raymond do now? 21

What can Raymond do now? (if he didn’t pay his fine on time) 22

What could Raymond have done differently? 23

More about the organisations mentioned in the activity 23

Victoria Legal Aid 23

Other organisations that can help – legal advice 23

Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service 23

Youthlaw 24

Other organisations that can help – court 24

Children’s Court of Victoria 24

Other organisations that can help – discrimination and complaints 24

Public Transport Ombudsman 24

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission 24

Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission 24

Offence 25

Public transport offences 25

Police officer 27

Protective Services Officer 27

Extra resources 28

Legal organisations 28

Victoria Legal Aid 28

Other legal organisations 29

Smart Justice 29

Youthlaw 29

Non-legal organisations 29

About Learning the law

What is Learning the law?

Learning the law (LTL) is an online suite of teaching tools for teachers of students with a mild intellectual disability in years 8 to 12.

Teachers in mainstream schools who want simplified materials on the legal topics may also find these
tools useful.

By using these tools, teachers can help young people increase their:

· knowledge of legal rights and responsibilities

· ability to identify legal problems

· confidence in seeking help.

There is currently one module: Fines and Driving [www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/learningthelaw].

This module covers two topics and each topic includes a short film and three activities.

The Department of Education and Training and Victoria Legal Aid’s Community Legal Education team partnered to create LTL.

What is in this teachers’ resource?

This teachers’ resource supports the ‘Fines’ topic in Module 1: Fines and Driving.

This resource provides:

· three legal education lesson plans

· discussion questions

· legal information

· a list of additional teaching resources about fines, public transport and Authorised Officers.

Lesson plans

Planning the lessons

What are the learning outcomes?

Knowledge

· students gain knowledge about the legal issues to do with:

- fines

- myki

- Authorised Officers

· students identify where to get help if they have a fine or an issue with Authorised Officers

· students consider how to prevent a legal problem relating to fines.

Skills

· narrative analysis

· reading

· discussion

· decision making

· problem solving

· web browsing.

What LTL tools will you need?

r Fines film [https://youtu.be/qtvnWQi3d2Y]

r Fines activities [www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/learningthelaw]

r This teachers’ resource [www.legalaid.vic.gov.au/learningthelaw].

What technology will you need?

r Access to external websites, including websites with video content

r A data projector to connect to your device (optional).

Lesson one

In this lesson you can watch the Fines film and do ‘Activity 1 – What do these words mean?’.

Structure / Minutes /
Introduction
· Outline today’s lesson
· Ground rules (for example, watch the film quietly, take turns with answers). / 5
Tuning in to the session
· Watch the Fines film
· Discussion (see notes on page 12)
· Watch the film again
· Further discussion (see notes on page 12). / 25
Building knowledge of topic
· Complete ‘Activity 1 – What do these words mean?’ (see notes about this activity on
page 13). / 20
Drawing it together
· Reflection. Possible prompt questions:
· What was one thing or one important word you learnt in today’s lesson?
· What questions do you have after today’s lesson?
· Conclusion. Prompt questions:
· What responsibilities do you have with your myki when you travel on public transport?
· What is a fine?
· What does an Authorised Officer do? / 10

Lesson two

In this lesson, you can revisit the film and do ‘Activity 2 – What was the problem here?’.

Structure / Minutes /
Introduction
· Recap on the last lesson
· Outline today’s lesson
· Ground rules (for example, watch the film and activity screens quietly, take turns
with answers). / 10
Tuning in to the session
· Watch the Fines film
· Discussion (see notes on page 12). / 10
Building knowledge of topic
· Complete ‘Activity 2 – What was the problem here?’ (see notes about this activity on
page 19). / 30
Drawing it together
· Reflection. Possible prompt questions:
- What was one thing or one important word you learnt in today’s lesson?
- What questions do you have after today’s lesson?
· Conclusion. Prompt questions:
- What were the problems for Raymond?
- What did the lawyer say? / 10

Lesson three

In this lesson, you can revisit the film and do ‘Activity 3 – What can Raymond do now?’.

Structure / Minutes /
Introduction
· Recap previous lesson
· Outline today’s lesson
· Ground rules (for example, watch the film and activity screens quietly, take turns
with answers). / 10
Tuning in to the session
· Watch the Fines film again
· Discussion (see notes on page 12). / 15
Building knowledge of topic
· Complete ‘Activity 3 – What can Raymond do now?’ (see notes about this activity on
page 21). / 25
Drawing it together
· Reflection. Possible prompt questions:
· What was one thing or one important word you learnt in today’s lesson?
· What questions do you have after today’s lesson?
· Conclusion. Prompt questions:
· Where can you go for help if you have a problem with a myki fine
· What can you do to avoid getting a myki fine? / 10

Glossary

arrest – when the police hold you in custody because they think you have broken the law

bail – a promise that you will go to court to face charges on a certain date. You may have to agree to conditions like reporting to the police or living at a certain place while you are on bail

charge – this term is used two ways. Firstly, it is an action the police can take. When the police charge you with an offence, this means they believe you have broken the law and are taking you to court. Secondly, once the police have charged you with committing an offence, the offence is also referred to as the charge

Children’s Court of Victoria – the court where young people have criminal and some family matters heard

custody – when you have been arrested and you are not free to leave

discrimination – unfair treatment that results in a disadvantage. See page 15

evidence – information (from a witness, documents or material) used in court to prove something. This could include a myki card

fine – money you have to pay as a punishment for breaking the law. This is usually for relatively minor offences such as littering, parking, traffic or public transport offences

hearing – the presentation of a case at court

infringement notice – a written document that tells you that you have to pay the fine. The ‘prosecuting agency’ sends this out. The prosecuting agency for public transport fines is the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources

judge – a person who hears cases in the County Court or Supreme Court. They can make decisions about whether you are guilty or not. They can give sentences. In the Children’s Court, a judge hears some cases. However, the formal title is ‘president’

magistrate – a person who hears cases in the Magistrates’ Court or the Children’s Court. They can make decisions about whether you are guilty or not. They can give sentences

Magistrates’ Court of Victoria – a court where lower-level crime matters for adults are heard

offence – something the law says is wrong

penalty – a punishment for breaking the law

penalty unit – a fine is made up of penalty units. Each penalty unit has a value in dollars. This goes up every year. For example, if you are found guilty of an offence, the magistrate may give you a fine that is ten penalty units. This would be ten times the amount of one penalty unit

sentence – this term is used two ways. Firstly, if the magistrate or judge finds you guilty, they will sentence you according to the offence you committed. That means the magistrate or judge gives you a penalty and, if your offence was serious, they may also give you a conviction. Secondly, the conviction and the penalty is referred to as the sentence

There is more information about legal terms such as offence, police officers and Protective Services Officers in the ‘Extra legal information’ section on page 25.

The film – Fines

Fines [https://youtu.be/qtvnWQi3d2Y]

Raymond, 15 Axel, 15

Summary

Raymond and Axel are friends. They are playing computer games at Raymond’s place.

Raymond has gotten a fine for not touching on his myki. He talks about this with Axel. We see a flashback sequence to about a month ago when Raymond did not touch on, and a few stops later two Authorised Officers checked Raymond’s myki card, took his details and reported him.

Raymond thinks that the Authorised Officers always hassle him first and he does not want to pay the fine.

At the end of the film, Raymond scrunches up his fine and throws it in the bin.

Transcript

Raymond: No, no, no! C’mon!

Axel: That’s it, you’re off. Move over, loser.

Raymond: [Picks up note that reads “Raymond. How are you going to pay for this?”] Whatever.

Axel: What?

Raymond: My Dad left me a note on my myki fine.

Axel: That’s weird.

Raymond: He’s a weird guy.

Axel: Like father, like son.

Raymond: I didn’t touch on.

[Flashback in still images.]

Raymond: They always hassle me first.

Axel: Do you want to play again?

Raymond: Nah. [Writing onto the fine.] “Dad. Why don’t you pay the fine? You are rich. Your son, Raymond.”