Register of convictions

Prosecutions for food safety breaches are initiated in practice where there has been serious non-compliance or a repeated failure to comply with food laws.

The details of offences under the Act that involve the conviction of a person by a court after 1 July 2010 will be publicly available.

Each conviction will be included in a register for 12 months. The register will be published on the Department of Health's website.

Ordinarily a conviction under the Act is dealt with in open court - typically in the Magistrates’ Court. The establishment of the register will increase the opportunities for a court’s decision to become more widely known. This will improve the accountability of food premises by making information about non-compliance with the Act readily available to the public.