Part VI Miscellaneous
Terrorist offences
F158AEliciting, publishing or communicating information about members of armed forces etc
(1)
A person commits an offence who—
(a)
elicits or attempts to elicit information about an individual who is or has been—
(i)
a member of Her Majesty's forces,
(ii)
a member of any of the intelligence services, or
(iii)
a constable,
which is of a kind likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism, or
(b)
publishes or communicates any such information.
(2)
It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that they had a reasonable excuse for their action.
(3)
A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
(a)
on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding F215 years or to a fine, or to both;
(b)
on summary conviction—
(i)
in England and Wales or Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;
(ii)
in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both.
F3(3A)
In subsection (3)(b)(i), in its application to England and Wales, the reference to 12 months is to be read as a reference to the general limit in a magistrates’ court.
(4)
In this section “ the intelligence services ” means the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and GCHQ (within the meaning of section 3 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994 (c. 13)).
(5)
Schedule 8A to this Act contains supplementary provisions relating to the offence under this section.