The Food Safety(Northern Ireland) Order 1991

Offences

Time limit for prosecutions

35.  A prosecution for an offence under this Order which is punishable under Article 36(2) shall not be begun after the expiry of—

(a) 3 years from the commission of the offence; or

(b) one year from its discovery by the prosecution,

whichever is the earlier.

Punishment of offences

36.—(1) A person guilty of an offence under Article 34(1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to both.

(2) A person guilty of any other offence under this Order shall be liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both;

(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the relevant amount or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

(3) In paragraph (2) “the relevant amount” means—

(a) in the case of an offence under Article 6, 7 or 13, £20,000;

(b) in any other case, the statutory maximum.