UK Offence Report

Offences relating to specified documents

regulation 24(5) of The European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004 (revoked)

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

5 A person commits an offence if he—

a intentionally obstructs

a constable in the exercise of his powers under this regulation, or

b conceals from

a constable acting in the exercise of those powers any document to which this regulation applies.

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 This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.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
obstructing an official exercising a power
Fault element
Requires proof of a state of mind
Burden of proof
No statutory defence — prosecution proves everything

The prosecution must prove both that the conduct happened and that it was done with the state of mind the provision names (intentionally).

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

Classifier’s reasoning: mens rea word in the offence-creating words: intentionally.

What would breach regulation 24(5)?

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. Refusing to let an inspector onto premises they are entitled to enter under the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2004.
  2. Sending an official away, or telling staff to say nothing, where the power being exercised does not depend on anyone's consent.
  3. Physically blocking an examination, or removing something an officer has said they intend to inspect.

Penalty

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

in Northern Ireland a reference to a level is construed as referring to the standard scale as it currently stands (Fines and Penalties (NI) Order 1984 art.5(3)), 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
29 April 2004
In force from
30 April 2004
Extent
N.I.

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, which extend to Northern Ireland only, make provision for the conduct of elections to the European Parliament and for the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. They revoke and replace the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1986, as amended by the instruments listed in Schedule 7, which applied provisions of the Representation of the People Acts and regulations made under those Acts as modified by those Regulations. In these Regulations, the relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Acts and regulations made thereunder are set out in full with appropriate modifications. Part 1 of these Regulations makes general provision for the conduct of the poll and the manner of voting in the electoral region of Northern Ireland. Regulation 6 introduces Schedule 1, which contains rules for European Parliamentary elections. Provision about absent voting is made by regulations 7 to 13 and Schedule 2. Regulation 14 and Schedule 3 modify these Regulations for the 2004 election in respect of citizens of the Accession States (as defined in regulation 2, that is the States joining the European Union on 1st May 2004). Provision is also made about the register of electors and the functions of the registration officer and returning officer (who is by virtue of section 6(4) of the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 the Chief Electoral Officer). Offences relating to voting and other offences are created by regulations 23 to 29 and provision is made about the secrecy of voting and prohibition of publication of exit polls by regulations 30 and 31. Part 2 makes provision about the election campaign including the appointment of agents and the issuing of election broadcasts and publications. Regulation 38 and Schedule 4 impose controls on donation to candidates and regulations 39 to 57 and Schedule 5 deal with the election expenses of candidates. Various election offences including bribery and treating are created. Part 3 provides for the filling of vacancies by the holding of by-elections. Part 4 deals with legal proceedings in relation to European Parliamentary elections. Regulation 79 provides for the questioning of such an election to be by election petition and regulations 80 to 96 govern how such a petition is to be presented and served, provide for the hearing of a petition by an election court and for the procedure at and following the trial of an election petition. Regulations 97 to 109 deal with the prosecution of offences. Part 5 contains miscellaneous provisions. Regulation 115 and Schedule 6 provide for the combination of polls at European Parliamentary elections with those at parliamentary or local elections. Regulation 116 and Schedule 7 revoke the European Parliamentary Elections (Northern Ireland) Regulations 1986 and amending regulations.

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 “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