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CRIMINAL LAW ACT (NORTHERN IRELAND) 1967 - SECT 5

Penalties for concealing offences etc.

5.(1) Subject to the succeeding provisions of this section, where a person has
committed an arrestable offence, it shall be the duty of every other person,
who knows or believes

(a)that the offence or some other arrestable offence has been committed; and

(b)that he has information which is likely to secure, or to be of material
assistance in securing, the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of any
person for that offence;

(i)if that offence is one for which the court is required by law to sentence
an offender to death or to imprisonment for life or to detention during the
pleasure of the Governor of Northern Ireland, he shall be liable to
imprisonment for not more than ten years;

(ii)if it is one for which a person (of full age and capacity and not
previously convicted) may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of fourteen
years, he shall be liable to imprisonment for not more than seven years;

(iii)if it is not one included above but is one for which a person (of full
age and capacity and not previously convicted) may be sentenced to
imprisonment for a term of ten years, he shall be liable to imprisonment for
not more than five years;

(iv)in any other case, he shall be liable to imprisonment for not more than
three years.

(2) It shall not be an offence under this section for the person suffering
loss or injury by reason of the commission of the offence (in this section
referred to as "the injured person") or some other person acting on his behalf
not to disclose information upon that loss or injury being made good to
the injured person or upon the injured person being reasonably recompensed
therefor so long as no further or other consideration is received for or on
account of such non-disclosure.

(3) Where a person causes any wasteful employment of the police by knowingly
making to any person a false report or statement tending to show that an
offence has been committed, whether by himself or by another person, or to
give rise to apprehension for the safety of any persons or property, or
tending to show that he has information material to any police inquiry, he
shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for not more than six
months or to a fine of not more than two hundred pounds or to both.

[(3A) Notwithstanding any provision in any Act prescribing the period within
which summary proceedings may be commenced, proceedings for an offence under
subsection (3) (causing wasteful employment of the police by knowingly making
false report or statement) may be commenced at any time within the period of
twelve months after the commission of the offence.]

(4) No proceedings shall be instituted for an offence under this section
except by or with the consent of the Attorney-General.

(5) The compounding of an offence other than treason shall not be an offence
otherwise than under this section.


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© 1967 Crown Copyright

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