National Monuments (Amendment) Act, 1987

Withholding information regarding archaeological objects.

20.—(1) Where a member of the Garda Síochána—

(a) has reasonable grounds for believing that an offence under the National Monuments Acts, 1930 to 1987, involving an archaeological object has been committed,

(b) finds any person in possession of an archaeological object,

(c) has reasonable grounds for believing that the archaeological object referred to in paragraph (b) of this subsection is the archaeological object referred to in paragraph (a) of this subsection,

he may require the person to give him an account of how he came by the object, and if the person fails or refuses, without reasonable excuse, to do so or gives information that he knows to be false or misleading, he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not have effect unless the accused when required to give the account was told in ordinary language by the member of the Garda Síochána concerned what the effect of the failure or refusal might be.

(3) Any information given by a person in compliance with a requirement under subsection (1) of this section shall not be admissible in evidence against that person or his spouse in any proceedings, civil or criminal, other than proceedings for an offence under that subsection.