The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Local COVID-19 Alert Level) (Very High) (England) Regulations 2020

Offences and penalties

5.—(1) A person commits an offence if, without reasonable excuse, the person—

(a) contravenes a Tier 3 restriction,

(b) contravenes a requirement imposed, or a direction given, under regulation 4,

(c) fails to comply with a reasonable instruction or a prohibition notice given by a relevant person under regulation 4, or

(d) obstructs any person carrying out a function under these Regulations (including any person who is a relevant person for the purposes of regulation 4).

(2) An offence under this regulation is punishable on summary conviction by a fine.

(3) If an offence under this regulation committed by a body corporate is proved—

(a) to have been committed with the consent or connivance of an officer of the body corporate, or

(b) to be attributable to any neglect on the part of such an officer,

the officer (as well as the body corporate) is guilty of the offence and liable to be prosecuted, proceeded against and punished accordingly.

(4) In paragraph (3), “officer”, in relation to a body corporate, means a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate.

(5) Section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984(1) applies in relation to an offence under this regulation as if the reasons in subsection (5) of that section included—

(a) to maintain public health;

(b) to maintain public order.

(1)

1984 c. 60. Section 24 was substituted by s. 110(1) of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (c. 15).