PART VIIENFORCEMENT AND OFFENCES

General

Prosecution and punishment of offences69

1

Schedule 5 sets out in tabular form the manner in which offences under this Order are punishable on conviction.

2

In relation to an offence under a provision of this Order specified in column (1) of Schedule 5 (the general nature of that offence being described in column (2))—

a

column (3) shows whether it is punishable on summary conviction or on indictment or in either one way or the other; and

b

column (4) shows the maximum punishment which may be imposed on a person convicted of it in the way specified in column (3).

3

In column (4) of Schedule 5—

a

any reference to a period of years or months shall be construed as a reference to a term of imprisonment of that duration; and

b

any reference to a level shall be construed as a reference to a fine of that level on the standard scale.

4

Subject to paragraph (5), summary proceedings for an offence under this Order—

a

may be instituted at any time within four years after the commission of the offence; but

b

shall not be instituted after the expiration of six months from the commission of the offence unless they are instituted by, or by the direction of, the Attorney General.

5

Paragraph (4) does not apply to an offence which by virtue of the entry relating to it in column (3) of Schedule 5 is triable also on indictment.

6

Paragraph (4) has effect notwithstanding anything in Article 19(1) of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (NI 26) (limitation of time for taking proceedings).