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SLAUGHTER-HOUSES ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1953 - SECT 6

Enforcement.

6.(1) An authorised officer shall, without prejudice to any other provision of
this Act, have power

(a)to enter at all reasonable times any premises owned or occupied for the
purpose of his slaughter-house by or on behalf of a licence-holder, and to
inspect any process, plant, equipment or appliance used in or in connection
with that slaughter-house, or any animal, meat, offals or any other substance
or thing being in his possession for the purpose of that slaughter-house;

(b)to take for the purpose of expert examination samples of meat or offals
found in his possession for the purpose of his slaughter-house.

(2) If the Ministry has reason to believe that, in contravention of
sub-section (7) of section one of this Act, any animal has been or is about to
be slaughtered in or at any premises or place, the Ministry may specially
authorise any of its officers to enter such premises or place, and an officer
so authorised shall have the like powers of entry, inspection and taking
samples as are conferred on an authorised officer by the preceding
sub-section.

(3) An authorised officer exercising any power conferred on him by or under
this Act shall produce his authority if so requested by or on behalf of the
owner or occupier of the premises wherein, or in relation to which, he is
exercising or is about to exercise such power.

(4) Any person who

(a)obstructs or impedes an authorised officer in the exercise of any power
conferred on him by this Act;

(b)fraudulently alters or uses, or causes or permits to be fraudulently
altered or used, any licence or other document issued or granted under or by
virtue of this Act;

(c)being a licence-holder, makes any false or fraudulent statement in any
record kept by him under or by virtue of this Act;

(d)acts in contravention of or neglects or fails to comply with any provision
of this Act or of any regulation made thereunder;

(5) A person guilty of an offence against this Act shall on summary conviction
thereof be liable

(a)for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding [#100];

(b)for a second or any subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding [#250];

(6) Subject to the provisions of section two hundred and sixty-four of the
Public Health (Ireland) Act, 1878, where an offence against this Act was
committed by a body corporate and is proved to have been so committed with the
consent or approval, or to have been facilitated by any neglect or default on
the part, of any director, manager, secretary or other officer thereof, such
director, manager, secretary or other officer shall be deemed to be guilty of
such offence and shall be liable to be proceeded against and punished
accordingly.

(7) All offences against this Act shall be prosecuted, and all fines in
respect thereof shall be recovered, in manner provided by the Summary
Jurisdiction Acts (Northern Ireland).

(8) A prosecution for an offence against this Act shall not be instituted
otherwise than by or with the consent of the Attorney-General or the Ministry,
except

(a)a prosecution for an offence committed by an officer of the Ministry;

(b)a prosecution by a local authority for an offence against this Act which is
also an offence against any enactment relating to the sale of food or the
public health and enforceable by such authority:

Provided that this sub-section shall not be construed as rendering any person
liable to be punished more than once for any offence.


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© 1953 Crown Copyright

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