UK Offence Report

Penalties

regulation 11(2) of The Genetically Modified Organisms (Transboundary Movements) (Scotland) Regulations 2005

This offence was read from the text as made, and no revised version was available, so a later revocation could not be ruled out. Check the current text at legislation.gov.uk.

What the provision says

2 Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the specified Community provisions contained in Part II of Schedule

1 to these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to

a fine not exceeding level

5 on the standard scale or to imprisonment for

a term not exceeding three months, or to both.

Text as made, from legislation.gov.uk. © Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0. This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.

Who it binds, and what has to be proved

Binds
a person
Conduct
contravening a requirement of the instrument
Fault element
Strict liability
Burden of proof
No statutory defence — prosecution proves everything

The prosecution must prove that the conduct happened. This is a strict liability offence as drafted: the provision uses no word of intention, knowledge, recklessness or negligence, so there is no need to show that a person meant to do it, knew about it, or was careless.

Intention, knowledge and carelessness are irrelevant to guilt. They may still matter a great deal to sentence.

The provision states no defence, so the prosecution bears the burden on every element of the offence.

Classifier’s reasoning: no word of intention, knowledge, recklessness or negligence in the offence or its provision; other provisions of the same instrument use a mens rea word while this one does not (the Cundy v Le Cocq contrast).

What would breach regulation 11(2)?

These are illustrations, not law. They are generated from the provision’s own words to show the shape of the offence. Whether any particular conduct is caught depends on the full text, on any amendment since, and on the facts.

  1. On these words an offence is committed where a person contravenes or fails to comply with any of the specified Community provisions contained in Part II of Schedule 1 to these Regulations.
  2. Doing the thing the provision prohibits under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Transboundary Movements) (Scotland) Regulations 2005, whatever the reason for doing it.
  3. Where the requirement is a positive duty, letting the time for performing it pass without performing it.

Penalty

Mode of trial
Either way — magistrates’ court or Crown Court
Maximum fine
£5,000
Standard scale
Level 5
Maximum prison (summary)
3 months
Maximum prison (on indictment)
2 years

in Scotland a reference to a level is construed as referring to the standard scale as it currently stands (CP(S)A 1995 s.225(2)), not as it stood when the instrument was made.

Sentencing

Offences of this kind are usually sentenced under the guidelines below. This is a mapping by subject, not a finding about this provision, and the links go to a search of the Sentencing Council’s own site.

Prosecution figures

No published per-offence figure was found for this provision, and it could not be matched to a Ministry of Justice offence code. Offences created by statutory instrument very largely do not have one. Absence of a figure is not evidence that the offence is unused.

Status and lifecycle

Current status
Status not determined
Made
7 June 2005
In force from
30 June 2005
Extent
S

How this was established: read from the text as made; no revised version available, so later revocation could not be ruled out.

What the instrument is for

(This note is not part of the Regulations) — the explanatory note published with the instrument, © Crown copyright.

These Regulations make provision, for the execution and enforcement of Regulation (EC) No. 1946/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15th July 2003 on the transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms (O.J. No. L 287, 5.11.2003, p.1) (“the Council Regulation”). The Council Regulation implements at Community level the procedures laid down in the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (“the Protocol”), which was signed by the Community and its Member States in 2000. In accordance with the Protocol, Community exporters are required to ensure that all requirements of the Advance Informed Agreement Procedure, as set out in the Protocol, are fulfilled. Regulation 3 designates the Scottish Ministers as “competent authority” for the purpose of the Council Regulation. Article 3(19) of the Council Regulation provides that the competent authority is responsible for performing the administrative functions required by the Protocol. Regulations 4 makes provision for the appointment of inspectors. Regulation 5 and Schedule 2 set out the powers of the inspectors, including powers of entry, the power to carry out tests and inspections, to take samples, and to require the provision of information. Regulation 6 makes provision for the Scottish Ministers and local authorities to obtain information. Regulation 7 makes it an offence to contravene Community provisions specified in Schedule 1; to obstruct inspectors and fail to comply with any requirements they impose in the exercise of powers under these Regulations; and to give false information. Regulation 8 makes provision for offences by third parties. Regulation 9 provides for offences committed by corporate bodies. Regulations 10 and 11 respectively specify time limits for bringing prosecutions, and prescribe penalties. Regulation 12 makes provision about notices under these Regulations. A Regulatory Impact Assessment (“RIA”) has been prepared in relation to these Regulations and a copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. Copies of the RIA can be obtained from the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department, GM Team, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.

Read the full note and every offence in this instrument

Other offences in the same instrument

How this was identified as an offence

Everything above rests on the judgement that this provision creates a criminal offence, rather than mentioning one. That judgement is made by rule, from the words of the provision, and this is the rule that made it — with a confidence of 0.92.

Basis
the provision says a person is “guilty of an offence”
Confidence
0.92 of 1.00

A provision that states a penalty for an offence created elsewhere can read very like one that creates an offence, and the rules can mistake the one for the other. If the text quoted above sets a penalty for something made an offence by another provision, treat the classification on this page with that in mind, and read the instrument.

Check the source