Agricultural and Food Supply Chain Act 2023
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Obstruction and false statements | ||
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79. (1) It is an offence— | ||
(a) to obstruct, interfere with or impede an authorised officer in the exercise of a function under this Act, | ||
(b) to fail or refuse, without reasonable cause, to comply with a requirement or direction of an authorised officer under section 75 or 76 , | ||
(c) to fail, without reasonable cause, to give assistance or requested information to an authorised officer under section 75 or 76 , | ||
(d) for a person purporting to give information to an authorised officer for the exercise of the officer’s functions under this Act— | ||
(i) to make a statement that the person knows to be false or misleading in a material particular, | ||
(ii) recklessly to make a statement which is false or misleading in a material particular, or | ||
(iii) intentionally to fail to disclose a material particular, | ||
(e) to tamper or otherwise interfere with a sample taken in the exercise of a power under section 75 or 76 , or | ||
(f) to aid or abet a contravention of this Act or regulations under it. | ||
(2) A statement or admission made by a person pursuant to a requirement under section 75 or 76 is not admissible in evidence in proceedings brought against the person for an offence under this Act, other than an offence under this section of failing to give information or giving false information. | ||
(3) In this section a reference to an authorised officer includes a reference to a person accompanying an authorised officer in the exercise of the authorised officer’s functions. |