@jpm I went into Woolies, decided not to buy anything after all, went to walk out. The express lane was full, so I walked through the self-checkout area to leave, and was ACCOSTED! "Excuse me, can I have a quick look in your bag?"
I said "no" and kept walking. That was it.
Satisfying. Highly recommended.
BTW: Retailers in Australia can ask to look in your bag (heck, anyone can!), but they have no right to look, and no right to touch you or anything of yours without your consent. Doing so would constitute assault *even if you had stolen something*. They also have no right to detain you. They put up their little signs about conditions of entry, but it is a total bluff.
They may KNOW you have taken something without paying for it. This is only possible if you have left the store, because as long as you are inside the store you may yet decide to pay for whatever you may have secreted in your underwear. Even then they must not detain you or touch you. The worst they can do is call the police, give them a good description, and point in the direction you went.
More people need to know this.
I suppose a place might try a citizen's arrest if they were really, really sure you had taken something. In which case (if you haven't taken anything) you should be able to get a tidy sum out of them (eventually).
Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. Don't rely on the above for anything. Get a proper legal opinion.
