23.—(1) A person who—
(a)enters any public building as a trespasser; or
(b)not being engaged in the discharge of duties, or the perfor-mance of obligations, connected with activities normally carried on in a public building wilfully neglects or fails to comply as soon as is practicable with a direction to leave that building given by an authorised person or by a constable, at the request of an authorised person; or
(c)knowingly interferes with the carrying on of any lawful activity in any public building, shall, without prejudice to the operation of any other statutory provision or rule of law, be guilty of an offence.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) shall be liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both; or
(b)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to a fine, or to both.
(3) A constable, if so requested by an authorised person, may remove from a public building any person who commits an offence under paragraph (1) in that building.
(4) An authorised person who gives a direction under paragraph (1)(b) to any person shall, if so required by that person, produce his authorisation to give such a direction.
(5) In this Article “authorised person”, in relation to a public building, means a person authorised in writing by the body or person owning, or lawfully occupying or using, the building to give directions under paragraph (1)(b) with respect to that building.
(6) In this Article “public building” includes—
(a)any building or part of a building which—
(i)is owned, occupied or used for any purpose by or on behalf of a public body or for the purposes of any grant-aided school or institution of further or higher education; or
(ii)is occupied or used for judicial or police purposes or for the purposes of the Assembly;
(b)any place or thing which is within the curtilage of such a building.
(7) For the purposes of this Article any place which is—
(a)Part of the Stormont Estate within the meaning of the Stormont Regulation and Government Property Act (Northern Ireland)[1933 c. 6 (N.I.)] 1933; or
(b)Part of the demesne and other lands referred to in section 1 of the Government Property (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland)[1955 c. 2 (N.I.)] 1955, shall be deemed to be within the curtilage of a public building.
(8) In this Article “public body” includes—
(a)a department of the Government of the United Kingdom or a Northern Ireland department;
(b)a district council or any committee appointed wholly or partly by a district council;
(c)any board, commissioners or other body authorised to supply services under any statutory provision, whether of a general or special nature; and
(d)any other public authority, board, commissioners or body of any kind constituted by or under any statutory provision, whether of a general or special nature.