18Offence of wrongful disclosureU.K.
(1)A person commits an offence if the person breaches section 15(1) or (2) or 17(1).
(2)It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under this section to prove that the person reasonably believed—
(a)that the disclosure was lawful, or
(b)that the information had already and lawfully been made available to the public.
(3)A prosecution for an offence under this section—
(a)may be brought in England and Wales only with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Director of Revenue and Customs Prosecutions;
(b)may be brought in Northern Ireland only with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland.
(4)This section is without prejudice to the pursuit of any remedy or the taking of any action in relation to a breach of section 15(1) or (2) or 17(1) (whether or not this section applies to the breach).
(5)A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable—
(a)on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or to a fine, or to both;
(b)on summary conviction—
(i)in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;
(ii)in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both;
(iii)in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or to both.
(6)In relation to an offence under this section committed before the commencement of section 282 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (c. 44) (increase in maximum sentence on summary conviction of offence triable either way), the reference in subsection (5)(b)(i) to 12 months has effect as if it were a reference to 6 months.