I have just started working at a charity. My job is to stand in the city and ask people to donate money. Am I allowed to do this? I have never done this work before and want to make sure I will not be charged with a begging offence.
Lawyer Answers (1): Answers from lawyers are general preliminary responses. They are not formal legal advice and cannot taken account of all your circumstances. They do not create a lawyer–client relationship.
Answer by Jo Wilson, Macleod 3085 VIC
- If you have been authorised and are collecting money on behalf of a registered charity then you are not committing the offence of begging.
- Begging is when you ask members of the public for money. Each state and territory has specific laws that deal with begging offences.
- Remember that each jurisdiction has rules about charities and how you can collect money on their behalf. If you are unsure about the charity you are working for or how the rules apply to you then you should get some legal advice.