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Explosives Act 1875

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87Exemption of occupier from penalty upon proof of another being real offender

Where any offence under this Act for which the occupier of any factory, magazine, store, or registered premises is liable to a penalty or forfeiture has in fact been committed by some other person, such other person shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds.

Where such occupier is charged with an offence so committed by some other person, the occupier shall be exempt from any penalty and forfeiture upon proving that he had supplied proper means and issued proper orders for the observance and used due diligence to enforce the observance of this Act, and that the offence in question was actually committed by some other person without his connivance, and if the actual offender be alive, that he has taken all practicable means in his power to prosecute such offender to conviction.

Where a Government inspector, or an officer of the local authority, or the local authority, is satisfied, before instituting a proceeding for any offence under this Act against an occupier, that such occupier, if such proceeding were instituted against him, would, under the foregoing provisions of this section, upon taking all practicable means in his power to prosecute the actual offender to conviction, be exempt from any penalty and forfeiture, and the occupier gives all facilities in his power for proceeding against and convicting the person whom the inspector, officer, or local authority believes actually to have committed the offence, the inspector, officer, or local authority shall proceed against that person in the first instance, without first proceeding against the occupier.

The occupier or other defendant, when charged in respect of any offence by another person, may, if he think fit, be sworn and examined as an ordinary witness in the case.

Where any offence under this Act for which any warehouseman, carrier, occupier of a wharf or dock, or owner or master of any ship, boat, or carriage, is liable to a penalty or forfeiture, has in fact been committed by some other person, this section shall apply in like manner as if the warehouseman, carrier, occupier of a wharf or dock, owner, or master were such an occupier as above in this section mentioned.

88Exemption of carrier and owner and master of ship where consignee, &c. in fault

Where a carrier or owner or master of a ship or boat is prevented from complying with this Act by the wilful act, neglect, or default of the consignor or consignee of the explosive, or other person, or by the improper refusal of the consignee or other person to accept delivery of the explosive, such consignor, consignee, or other person who is guilty of such wilful act, neglect, default, or refusal shall be liable to the same penalty to which the carrier, owner, or master is liable for a breach of this Act, and his conviction shall exempt the carrier, owner, or master from any penalty or forfeiture under this Act.

89Supplemental provisions as to forfeiture of explosive

Where a court before whom a person is convicted of an offence against this Act has power to forfeit any explosive owned by or found in the possession or under the control of such person, the court may, if it think it just and expedient, in lieu of forfeiting such explosive, impose upon such person, in addition to any other penalty or punishment, a penalty not exceeding such sum as appears to the court to be the value of the explosive so liable to be forfeited.

Where any explosive, or ingredient of an explosive, is alleged to be liable under this Act to be forfeited, any indictment, information, or complaint may be laid against the owner of such explosive or ingredient, for the purpose only of enforcing such forfeiture, and where the owner is unknown, or cannot be found, a court may cause a notice to be advertised, stating that unless cause is shown to the contrary at the time and place named in the notice, such explosive will be forfeited, and at such time and place the court, after hearing the owner or any person on his behalf (who may be present), may order all or any part of such explosive or ingredient to be forfeited.

90Jurisdiction in tidal waters or on boundaries

For all the purposes of this Act—

(1)Any harbour, tidal water, or inland water which runs between or abuts on or forms the boundary of the jurisdiction of two or more courts shall be deemed to be wholly within the jurisdiction of each of such courts; and

(2)Any tidal water not included in the foregoing descriptions, and within the territorial jurisdiction of Her Majesty, and adjacent to or surrounding any part of the shore of the United Kingdom, and any pier, jetty, mole, or work extending into the same, shall be deemed to form part of the shore to which such water or part of the sea is adjacent, or which it surrounds.

91Prosecution of offences either summarily or on indictment

Every offence under this Act may be prosecuted and every penalty under this Act may be recovered, and all explosives and ingredients liable to be forfeited under this Act may be forfeited either on indictment or before a court of summary jurisdiction, in manner directed by the Summary Jurisdiction Acts.

Provided that the penalty imposed by a court of summary jurisdiction shall not exceed one hundred pounds exclusive of costs, and exclusive of any forfeiture or penalty in lieu of forfeiture, and the term of imprisonment imposed by any such court shall not exceed one month.

All costs and money directed to be recovered as penalties may be recovered before a court of summary jurisdiction in manner directed by the Summary Jurisdiction Acts.

A court of summary jurisdiction may by order prohibit a person from doing any act for doing which such person has twice been convicted under this Act, and may order any person disobeying such summary order to be imprisoned for any period not exceeding six months.

92Power of offender in certain cases to elect to be tried on indictment, and not by summary jurisdiction

Where a person is accused before a court of summary jurisdiction of any offence under this Act, the penalty for which offence as assigned by this Act, exclusive of forfeiture, exceeds one hundred pounds, the accused may, on appearing before the court of summary jurisdiction, declare that he objects to being tried for such offence by a court of summary jurisdiction, and thereupon the court of summary jurisdiction may deal with the case in all respects as if the accused were charged with an indictable offence and not an offence punishable on summary conviction, and the offence may be prosecuted on indictment accordingly.

93Appeal to quarter sessions

If any party feels aggrieved by any summary order made by a court of summary jurisdiction under this Act, or by any order or conviction made by a court of summary jurisdiction in determining any complaint or information under this Act, by which order or conviction the sum adjudged to be paid, including costs, and including the value of any forfeiture, exceeds twenty pounds, the party so aggrieved may appeal therefrom to quarter sessions, in manner provided with respect to an appeal to quarter sessions by section one hundred and ten of the [24 & 25 Vict. c. 96.] Act of the session of the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth years of the reign of Her present Majesty, chapter ninety-six.

94Constitution of court

The court of summary jurisdiction, when hearing and determining an information or complaint, in respect of any offence under this Act, shall be constituted either of two or more justices of the peace in petty sessions sitting at a place appointed for holding petty sessions, or of some magistrate or officer sitting alone or with others at some court or other place appointed for the administration of justice, and for the time being empowered by law to do alone any act authorised to be done by more than one justice of the peace.

95Distress of ship

Where the owner or master of a ship or boat is adjudged to pay a penalty for an offence committed with or in relation to such ship or boat, the court may, in addition to any other power they may have for the purpose of compelling payment of such penalty, direct the same to be levied by distress or arrestment and sale of the said ship or boat and her tackle.

96Application of penalties and disposal of forfeitures

All penalties imposed in pursuance of this Act by a court of summary jurisdiction upon the prosecution of a Government inspector shall, notwithstanding anything in any other Act, be paid into the receipt of Her Majesty's Exchequer, in such manner as the Treasury may from time to time direct, and be carried to the Consolidated Fund.

Any explosive or ingredient forfeited in pursuance of this Act may be sold, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of in such manner as the court declaring the forfeiture, or the Secretary of State, may direct, and the proceeds of any such sale or disposal shall be paid, applied, and accounted for in like manner as penalties under this Act.

The receptacle containing any such explosive or ingredients may be forfeited, sold, destroyed, or otherwise disposed of, in like manner as the contents

The provisions of Part Three of this Act with respect to an explosive, or ingredient of an explosive, seized in pursuance of this Act, and to the officer seizing, removing, detaining, keeping, or conveying, or otherwise dealing with the same, shall apply to any explosive and ingredient declared by any court to be forfeited, and to the officer removing, detaining, keeping, conveying, selling, destroying, or otherwise disposing of the

The court declaring the forfeiture, or the Secretary of State directing the sale or other disposal of any forfeited explosive or ingredient, and the receptacles thereof, may require the owner of such explosive or ingredient to permit the use of any ship, boat, or carriage containing such explosive or ingredient for the purpose of such sale or disposal, upon payment of a reasonable compensation for the same, to be determined in case of dispute by a court of summary jurisdiction ; and where the explosive or ingredient is directed to be destroyed, the owner and the person having possession of such explosive or ingredient, and the owner and master of the ship, boat, or carriage containing the same, or some or one of them, shall destroy the same accordingly, and if the court or Secretary of State so order, the ship, boat, or carriage may be detained until the same is so destroyed; and if the Secretary of State is satisfied that default has been made in complying with any such direction by him or by a court, and that the detention of the ship, boat, or carriage will not secure the safety of the public, and that it is impracticable, having regard to the safety of the public or of the persons employed in such destruction, to effect the same without using such ship, boat, or carriage, or otherwise dealing with such ship, boat, or carriage, in like manner as if it were a receptacle for an explosive forfeited under this Act, the Secretary of State may direct such ship, boat, and carriage, or any of them, to be, and the same may accordingly be, so used or dealt with.

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