The Special Waste Regulations 1996

[F1 OffencesE+W+S

18.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2) below, it shall be an offence for a person (other than a member, officer or employee of an Agency who is acting as authorised by that Agency,) to fail to comply with any of the foregoing provisions of these Regulations insofar as that provision imposes any obligation or requirement upon him.

(2) It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under paragraph (1) to prove that he was not reasonably able to comply with the provision in question by reason of an emergency or grave danger and that he took all steps as were reasonably practicable in the circumstances for—

(a)minimising any threat to the public or the environment; and

(b)ensuring that the provision in question was complied with as soon as reasonably practicable after the event.

(3) A person who, in purported compliance with a requirement imposed by or under any of the foregoing provisions of these Regulations to furnish any information, makes a statement which he knows to be false or misleading in a material particular, or recklessly makes any statement which is false or misleading in a material particular, commits an offence.

(4) A person who intentionally makes a false entry in any record or register required to be kept by virtue of any of the foregoing provisions of these Regulations commits an offence.

(5) Where the commission by any person of an offence under this regulation is due to the act or default of some other person, that other person may be charged with and convicted of an offence by virtue of this paragraph whether or not proceedings are taken against the first-mentioned person.

(6) Where an offence under this regulation which has been committed by a body corporate is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to have been attributable to, any neglect on the part of a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate, or any person who was purporting to act in any such capacity, he, as well as the body corporate, shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

(7) Where the affairs of a body corporate are managed by its members, paragraph (6) shall apply in relation to the acts or defaults of a member in connection with his functions of management as if he were a director of the body corporate.

(8) Where, in Scotland, an offence under this regulation which has been committed by a partnership or an unincorporated association (other than a partnership) is proved to have been committed with the consent or connivance of, or to have been attributable to any neglect on the part of, a partner in the partnership or, as the case may be, a person concerned in the management or control of the association, he, as well as the partnership or association, shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

(9) A person who commits an offence under this regulation shall be liable—

(a)on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale;

(b)on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or to both.]