People who have committed parking violations should pay up but the Government should not act retrospectively in pursuing offenders, that is the opinion on the streets of Hamilton.

The Royal Gazette went out to gauge public opinion in the wake of the Senate's decision to pass the Traffic Offences Procedure Validation Act 1998, which effectively closes a legal loophole for offenders whose fines were dismissed because they fell outside the six month period for prosecution.

And opinions were split 50/50 between those who believed people who had violated parking law should pay, whenever the offences occurred, and those who thought it was wrong for the Government to step back in time to bring those back to court.

Paul Telford, of Hamilton, said people who got tickets knew it was wrong in the first place and therefore should have to pay, even if it was a lengthy period since the offence.

Caterer Emilo Barbieri, a veteran of many previous parking tickets, said he would be extemely upset if he was called back to court for a fine from many months ago. The Government should make some concessions, since it was they who got the law wrong in the first place, he said.

He agreed that you should ultimately have to suffer the consequences of your actions but asked why there wasn't some sort of adjustment for fines that were very old.

Senators and lawyers are also unhappy with the act, which could mean hundreds of people who were sent away from court because their summons fell outside the six month period being brought back before magistrates.

It was fair enough for the Government to bring in new legislation but wrong for them to chase people whose cases had already been dealt with, said 20-year-old Akilah Albuoy, of Southampton.

She said the law should only start working from the day it is passed.

John Robbinson, from Hamilton Parish, said it wouldn't be right for the Government to change its mind and bring people back to court, because they had made a mistake.

What's done is done, said Julanda Trott, of Hamilton, adding that she believed the Government should only start prosecuting people from the day the legislation came into force.

Whatever the time factor, people who know they have committed an offence, should pay up and not try to dodge the fine, said Susan Swift of Hamilton Parish.

"If they have parked over the limit they should pay that fine -- you know if you have gone over the limit,'' she said.

Akilah Albuoy Emilo Barbieri John Robbinson