Offences and Penalties
15.—(1) Any person who–
(a)contravenes or fails to comply with regulation 3(1), 4(1), 5(1), 12(1) or 13(2) to (5);
(b)intentionally obstructs any person acting in the execution of Regulation 1895/2005 or these Regulations;
(c)fails to comply with regulation 13(6) or 17(3), or otherwise fails without reasonable excuse to give to any person acting in the execution of Regulation 1895/2005 or these Regulations any assistance or information which that person may reasonably require; or
(d)in purported compliance with any requirement mentioned in sub paragraph (c), knowingly or recklessly supplies information that is false or misleading in any material particular,
is guilty of an offence.
(2) Any person convicted of an offence under these Regulations is liable–
(a)in the case of an offence under paragraph (1)(a)–
(i)on conviction on indictment to a term of imprisonment not exceeding two years or to a fine or both;
(ii)on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or both;
(b)in the case of any other offence under these Regulations, on summary conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding level five on the standard scale or to both.
(3) Nothing in paragraph (1)(c) is to be construed as requiring any person to answer any question or give any information if to do so might incriminate that person.
(4) No prosecution for an offence under these Regulations shall be begun after the expiry of 3 years from the commission of the offence or 1 year from the date on which evidence sufficient in the opinion of the prosecutor to warrant proceedings came to the knowledge of the prosecutor, whichever is the earlier.
(5) For the purposes of this regulation, a certificate signed by or on behalf of the prosecutor and stating the date on which evidence sufficient in the prosecutor’s opinion to warrant the proceedings came to the knowledge of the prosecutor, shall be conclusive evidence of that fact.
(6) A certificate stating that matter and purporting to be so signed shall be deemed to be so signed unless the contrary is proved.