Explosives Act 1875

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.