Discussion: Constable Frogga

Commonwealth Public servants are an endangered species?

rob and muz were grossly intoxicated and/or naked in public?

self defence?

animal cruelty is handled differently by the AFP?

you were standing either side of the ACT/NSW border?

Muzza is bigger than Frogga? Robbie is faster than Frogga?

robbie is faster than no one over short distances

He was in a shout with you guys?

You and Martin Dent are worthwhile contributors to society but Muz and Robbie would actually benefit from having some sense knocked in to them ?

Oxoman had it just about right. Outside the ACT federal cops only have jurisdiction over federal offences. Assaulting a Commonwealth officer is a federal offence; common assault is not. The catch is that it has to be proven that the biffer knew that the biffee was a Commonwealth officer; perhaps if the hypothetical altercation arose from an argument over climate change?

This is actually vaguely useful information for us as we've been in enough "full and frank exchanges of views" at places like rural field days for it not to be beyond the realms of possibility that I or one of my colleagues may have cause to use this law one day (although as, almost without exception, abusive customers on such occasions are men over the age of 70 they may be disinclined to take their disagreement further).