Dumping At Sea Act, 1996

Penalties.

10.—(1) A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable, on conviction on indictment, to a fine of such amount as the court considers appropriate or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(2) A judge of the District Court shall have jurisdiction to try summarily an offence under this Act if—

(a) the judge is of the opinion that the facts proved or alleged against a defendant charged with such an offence constitute a minor offence fit to be tried summarily,

(b) the Attorney General consents, and

(c) the defendant (on being informed by the judge of the right to be tried by a jury) does not object to being tried summarily,

and upon conviction under this subsection, the said defendant shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(3) Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1967 , shall apply in relation to an offence under this Act as if, in lieu of the penalties specified in subsection (3) of the said section 13, there were specified therein the penalty provided for by subsection (2) of this section, and the reference in subsection (2) (a) of the said section 13 to the penalties provided for in the said subsection (3) shall be construed and have effect accordingly.

(4) A person guilty of an offence under this Act shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,500 or, at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both the fine and the imprisonment.

(5) Where a judge of the District Court proposes to make an order for the release on bail of a defendant before him charged with an offence under this Act who is ordinarily resident outside the State, he shall (unless he is satisfied that all documents including an indictment required by law to be served on the defendant in connection with or for the purpose of the charge or of any proceedings arising out of or connected with the charge can be duly served on the defendant in the State) direct that those documents may, in lieu of being served on the defendant, be served on a person who is ordinarily resident in the State.

(6) Where a judge of the District Court who has given a direction under this section or another judge of the District Court acting in his place is satisfied that, owing to the death or absence from the State of a person specified in the direction or for any other reason, a document referred to in subsection (5) cannot be served on that person, the judge shall direct that the document may be served on another person who is ordinarily resident in the State.

(7) Service of a document referred to in this section on a person specified in a direction under this section shall be deemed for all purposes to be service on the defendant concerned.