Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1977

Emergency as defence.

21.—(1) It shall be a good defence to any proceedings taken against any person for a breach of any of the provisions of this Act if such person shows to the satisfaction of the court before which such proceedings are brought that any act occasioning such breach was rendered necessary or reasonably proper by the actual occurrence or the threat or reasonable anticipation of fire, flood, storm, violence, a breakdown of plant or machinery or any other emergency.

(2) A certificate signed by any Minister that an act done by or in relation to any person employed by that Minister was rendered necessary by an emergency shall be evidence that such act was so rendered necessary.