(1)If any person contravenes section 20(1) he commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.
(2)A person is not guilty of an offence by reason of contravening section 20(1) on any particular date if—
(a)the contravention is occasioned by the fact that an application on his part for registration under this Act has not been granted; and
(b)notice of the decision not to grant the application had not been duly served under this Act before that date.
(3)A person is not guilty of an offence by reason of contravening section 20(1) on any particular date if the contravention is occasioned by the removal of his name from the Register in circumstances in which notice is required to be served on him and—
(a)the notice had not been duly served before that date;
(b)the time for bringing an appeal against the removal had not expired at that date; or
(c)such an appeal had been duly brought, but had not been determined, before that date.
(4)In relation to an offence under subsection (1)—
(a)section 127(1) of the M1Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980 (information to be laid within six months of offence);
(b)Article 19(1) of the M2Magistrates’ Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (complaint to be made within that time); and
(c)section 136(1) of the M3Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (proceedings to be commenced within that time),
shall have effect as if for the references in them to six months there were substituted references to two years.