Editing Riot Act (section)

===Australia===
Acts similar to the Riot Act have been enacted in some Australian states. For example, in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] the Unlawful Assemblies and Processions Act 1958 allowed a magistrate to disperse a crowd with the words (or words to the effect of):

{{blockquote|Our sovereign lady the Queen doth strictly charge and command all manner of persons here assembled immediately to disperse themselves and peaceably depart to their own homes. God save the Queen.}}

Anyone remaining after 15 minutes may be charged and imprisoned for one month (first offence) or three months (repeat offence). The act does not apply to crowds gathered for the purpose of an election.

The same act allows a magistrate to appoint citizens as "special [police] constables" to disperse a crowd and provides indemnity for the hurting or killing of unlawfully assembled people in an attempt to disperse them.<ref name="legislation.vic.gov.au">{{Cite web |url=http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/a12f6f60fbd56800ca256de500201e54/D16833E3F4514F2ACA25734C000D1A47/$FILE/58-6406a024.pdf#10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219013720/http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubLawToday.nsf/a12f6f60fbd56800ca256de500201e54/D16833E3F4514F2ACA25734C000D1A47/$FILE/58-6406a024.pdf#10|url-status=dead|title=Unlawful Assemblies and Processions Act 1958|archive-date=19 December 2008}}</ref> The Act was significantly amended in 2007.<ref name="legislation.vic.gov.au"/>