Time limit for prosecutions
27.—(1) A proceeding against a person in respect of any offence under any provision contained in this Schedule is to be commenced within one year after the offence was committed, and the time so limited by this paragraph is, in the case of any proceedings under the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980(1) for any such offence, to be substituted for any limitation of time contained in that Act.
(2) For the purposes of this paragraph the laying of an information is deemed to be the commencement of a proceeding.
(3) A magistrates’ court may act under sub-paragraph (4) if it is satisfied on an application by a constable or Crown Prosecutor—
(a)that there are exceptional circumstances which justify the granting of the application; and
(b)that there has been no undue delay in the investigation of the offence to which the application relates.
(4) The magistrates’ court may extend the time within which the proceedings must be commenced in pursuance of sub-paragraph (1) to not more than 24 months after the offence was committed.
(5) If the magistrates’ court acts under sub-paragraph (4), it may also make an order under sub-paragraph (6) if it is satisfied, on an application by a constable or Crown Prosecutor that documents retained by the relevant registration officer in pursuance of rule 44 of the Referendum Rules may provide evidence relating to the offence.
(6) An order under this sub-paragraph is an order—
(a)directing the relevant registration officer not to cause the documents to be destroyed at the expiry of the period of one year mentioned in rule 44 of the Referendum Rules; and
(b)extending the period for which the relevant registration officer is required to retain them under that rule by such further period not exceeding 12 months as is specified in the order.
(7) The making of an order under sub-paragraph (6) does not affect any other power to require the retention of the documents.
(8) An application under this paragraph must be made not more than one year after the offence was committed.
(9) Any party to—
(a)an application under sub-paragraph (3); or
(b)an application under sub-paragraph (5),
who is aggrieved by the refusal of the magistrates’ court to act under sub-paragraph (4) or to make an order under sub–paragraph (6) (as the case may be) may appeal to the Crown Court.