UK Offence Report

Penalties

regulation 11(1) of The Genetically Modified Organisms (Transboundary Movements) (England) Regulations 2004

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

1 Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the specified Community provisions in Part I of the Schedule to these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

a on summary conviction to

a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to imprisonment for

a term not exceeding three months, or to both;

b on conviction on indictment to

a fine or to imprisonment for

a term not exceeding two years, 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 This is the text as originally made; later amendments are not shown here.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.

What would breach regulation 11(1)?

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 in Part I of the Schedule to these Regulations.
  2. Doing the thing the provision prohibits under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Transboundary Movements) (England) Regulations 2004, 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

this is the level 5 value when the instrument came into force (2004-11-10); the standard scale is keyed to the date the offence was committed, and for conduct today the same words mean an unlimited fine.

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
17 October 2004
In force from
10 November 2004
Extent
E

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 as respects England, for the execution and enforcement of Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 July 2003 on the transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms (OJ No. L287, 5.11.2003, p1); and appoint a focal point for the UK for the purpose of Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003. Similar Regulations to make provision for the enforcement and execution of Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 will be made in respect of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Regulations come into force on 10th November 2004. Regulation 3 designates the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as ‘Focal Point’ for the UK for the purpose of Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 and as ‘Competent Authority’ for the purpose of the Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 as regards England. Articles 3(19) and 3(20) of the Regulation (EC) No 1946/2003 provide that these bodies are responsible for performing the administrative functions required by the Protocol and for liaising with the Secretariat to the Protocol. Regulation 4 provides for the enforcement of the Regulations and the specified Community provisions (the provisions of Regulation (EC) No. 1946/2003 specified in the Schedule). Regulation 5 makes provision for the appointment of inspectors, and transitional arrangements for inspectors already appointed under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (c. 43). Regulation 6 provides powers of entry, including the power to carry out tests and inspections, to take samples, Regulation 7 enables inspectors to require the provision of information. Regulation 8 makes it an offence to contravene the specified Community provisions; to obstruct inspectors in the exercise of powers under these Regulations; and to give false information; and sets out a due diligence defence in respect of contravention of the specified Community provisions. Regulation 9 makes provision for offences committed due to the fault of another person. Regulation 10 makes provision for offences committed by corporate bodies. Regulations 11 and 12 prescribe penalties and specify time limits for bringing prosecutions. A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared for these Regulations and a copy has been placed in the library of each House of Parliament. Copies of the Regulatory Impact Assessment can be obtained from GM Controls Unit, DEFRA, Zone G/9, Ashdown House, 123 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DE.

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