UK Offence Report

The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011

paragraph 20(k) of SCHEDULE 2 of The Environmental Regulation (Relevant Offences) (Scotland) Order 2014

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

k regulation 44(1)(o) (causing or permitting any other person to commit an offence) as it applies in relation to an offence specified in sub-paragraphs (a) to (j) above.

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 This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.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
breaching the provision
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.

What would breach paragraph 20(k) of SCHEDULE 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. Doing what the provision prohibits, or failing to do what it requires under the Environmental Regulation (Relevant Offences) (Scotland) Order 2014.

Penalty

Mode of trial
Not determined
Maximum fine
Not determined
Maximum prison (summary)
Not determined

no penalty is stated in this instrument; it may be in the enabling Act, or in a general penalties provision this pass did not connect to the offence.

No penalty was determined from this instrument. It may be in the enabling Act, or in a general penalties provision this pass did not connect to the offence. Absence of a figure here is not evidence that the offence carries no penalty.

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
19 November 2014
In force from
31 December 2014
Extent
Not stated

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 Order) — the explanatory note published with the instrument, © Crown copyright.

This Order specifies relevant offences for the purposes of sections 34, 35, 36, 38 and 39 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (“the Act”). Article 2(1) provides that the offences listed in Schedule 1 are the relevant offences for the purposes of section 34 of the Act. Section 34 of the Act modifies section 249(1) of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 (c. 46) (compensation orders against convicted persons) where a person is convicted of a relevant offence. The modifications allow payment of compensation to a relevant person for costs incurred (or to be incurred) in preventing, reducing remediating or mitigating the effects of any harm to the environment resulting from the offence, or other harm loss damage or adverse impacts. Article 2(2) provides that the offences listed in Schedule 2 are the relevant offences for the purposes of section 35 of the Act. Section 35 provides that, where a person is convicted of a relevant offence and the court proposes to impose a fine, the court must have regard to any financial benefit which has accrued (or is likely to accrue) as a consequence of the offence. Article 2(3) provides that the offences listed in Schedule 3 are the relevant offences for the purposes of section 36 of the Act. Section 36 provides that, where a person is convicted of a relevant offence, the court may make a publicity order. Article 2(4) provides that the offences listed in Schedule 4 are the relevant offences for the purposes of sections 38 and 39 of the Act. Section 38 makes provision for vicarious liability for relevant offences by employees and agents. Section 39 makes provision for liability where activity is carried out by arrangement with another.

Read the full note and every offence in this 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 “commits 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