Offences
18.—(1) It is an offence for a person—
(a)wilfully to obstruct an inspector in the exercise of the powers or duties conferred on the inspector by these Regulations;
(b)without reasonable excuse, to fail to comply with a requirement imposed under Schedule 3 or to prevent another person from complying with such a requirement; or
(c)knowingly or recklessly to give information which is false or misleading in a material particular where the information is given in purported compliance with any requirement imposed under Schedule 3 for the supply of information to an inspector.
(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) is liable—
(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum; or
(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine.
(3) For the purposes of this regulation, section 20(2) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 applies with the omission of the words “the liability of whose members is limited”; and where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, applies in relation to the acts or defaults of a member in connection with the member’s functions of management as if the member were a director of the body corporate.
(4) Where the commission by any person of an offence under this regulation is due to the act or fault of some other person, that other person may be charged with and convicted of the offence by virtue of this paragraph whether or not proceedings for the offence are taken against the first-mentioned person.