The Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 1996

Forfeiture: England and Wales

2.—(1) An enforcement authority in England and Wales may apply under this paragraph for an order for the forfeiture of any relevant product on the grounds that there has been a contravention in relation thereto of regulation 6, 7 or 8.

(2) An application under this paragraph may be made—

(a) where proceedings have been brought in a magistrates' court in respect of an offence in relation to some or all of the relevant products under regulation 16 to that court; and

(b) where no application for the forfeiture of the relevant product has been made under sub-paragraph (a) above, by way of complaint to a magistrates' court.

(3) On an application under this paragraph the court shall make an order for the forfeiture of the relevant products only if it is satisfied that there has been a contravention in relation thereto of regulation 6, 7 or 8.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that a court may infer for the purposes of this paragraph that there has been a contravention in relation to any relevant products of regulation 6, 7 or 8 if it is satisfied that that regulation has been contravened in relation to a relevant product which is representative of that relevant product (whether by reason of being of the same design or part of the same consignment or batch or otherwise).

(5) Any person aggrieved by an order made under this paragraph by a magistrates' court, or by a decision of such court not to make such an order, may appeal against that order or decision to the Crown Court and an order so made may contain such provision as appears to the court to be appropriate for delaying the coming into force of an order pending the making and determination of any appeal (including any application under section 111 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980(1)).

(6) Subject to sub-paragraph (7) below, where any relevant product is forfeited under this paragraph it shall be destroyed in accordance with such directions as the court may give.

(7) On making an order under this paragraph a magistrates' court may, if it considers it appropriate to do so, direct that the relevant product to which the order relates shall (instead of being destroyed) be released, to such person as the court may specify, on condition that that person—

(a) does not supply the relevant product to any person otherwise than—

(i) to a person who carries on a business of buying relevant products of the same description as the first mentioned product and repairing or reconditioning it; or

(ii) as scrap (that is to say, for the value of materials included in the relevant product rather than for the value of the relevant product itself); and

(b) complies with any order to pay costs or expenses which has been made against that person in the proceedings for the order for forfeiture.

(1)

1980 c. 43.