Criminal Law Act, 1976

Prohibition of possession of photographs etc. of certain buildings.

10.—(1) A person in lawful custody in any prison, Garda station or courthouse shall not have in his possession any photograph, film, illustration, drawing, sketch, map, plan or other representation of or note concerning any part of the interior or exterior of any prison, Garda station or courthouse without the permission of the governor (if he is in a prison), of the member of the Garda Síochána in charge (if he is in a Garda station) or of the court before which the person in question is appearing or is to appear (if he is in a courthouse), and any such person who has any such representation or note in his possession without that permission shall, unless he has it in his possession when taken into custody and discloses that fact on being informed that possession of any such representation or note without permission is forbidden, be guilty of an offence.

(2) (a) A person who is in or in the precincts of a prison, Garda station or courthouse and while there intends to visit or meet, or has visited or met, a person in lawful custody in that prison, station or courthouse shall not have in his possession any representation or note which is referred to in subsection (1) of this section without the permission specified in that subsection, and any person who has any such representation or note in his possession without that permission shall be guilty of an offence if he has been informed orally or by written notice that possession of any such representation or note without that permission is forbidden.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, if a person applies for the permission specified in subsection (1) of this section at the first available opportunity after arrival at the prison, Garda station or courthouse, he shall not be guilty of an offence under this subsection unless and until the permission is refused and he continues to retain possession of the representation or note.

(3) Nothing in this section shall make it unlawful for a person to have in his possession in a courthouse any representation or note which is referred to in subsection (1) of this section and is intended for production, use or reference in any proceedings that are taking place, are about to take place or have taken place in that court-house.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £500 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years.