Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015

Offences in relation to enduring powers of attorney

80. (1) A person who uses fraud, coercion or undue influence to force another person to make, vary or revoke an enduring power of attorney commits an offence and shall be liable—

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

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.

(2) A person who, in an instrument creating an enduring power of attorney, in an application for registration of an enduring power of attorney, or in connection with such an application, makes a statement which he or she knows to be false in a material particular commits an offence and shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a class A fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €15,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or both.

(3) The reference in subsection (1) to coercion or undue influence includes any case where a person’s access to, or continued stay in, a designated centre or mental health facility, is contingent (whether in whole or in part) on the person having to, or being led to believe that he or she has to, create, vary or revoke an enduring power of attorney.