The Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, Section 16A is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 03 March 2025. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
16A.—(1) This Article applies to—
(a)persons who are required to comply with regulations under Article 7(4); and
(b)persons specified in regulations under Article 16(1)(a).
(2) Such a person is guilty of an offence if, pursuant to a request for information under or by virtue of those regulations—
(a)he makes a statement or representation which he knows to be false; or
(b)he provides, or knowingly causes or knowingly allows to be provided, a document or other information which he knows to be false in a material particular.
(3) Such a person is guilty of an offence if, following such a request, he fails to comply with it.
[F2(3A) In the case of regulations under Article 16 which require a person liable to make payments of child support maintenance to notify—
(a)a change of address, or
(b)any other change of circumstances,
a person who fails to comply with the requirement is guilty of an offence.]
(4) It is a defence for a person charged with an offence under paragraph (3) [F3or (3A)] to prove that he had a reasonable excuse for failing to comply.
(5) A person guilty of an offence under this Article is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.
[F4(6) Notwithstanding anything in Article 19(1)(a) of the Magistrates' Courts (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (limitation of time for taking proceedings), summary proceedings for an offence under paragraph (2) may be instituted at any time within the period of 12 months beginning with the commission of the offence.]]
F2Art. 16A(3A) substituted (3.12.2012) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 (c. 13), ss. 32(2), 36(2); S.R. 2012/424, art. 2(b)
F3Words in art. 16A(4) inserted (29.9.2008 for specified purposes, 27.10.2008 in so far as not already in operation) by Child Maintenance Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 10), ss. 27(2), 41(1); S.R. 2008/399, art. 2(1)(b)
F4Art. 16A(6) added (13.8.2010) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 (c. 13), ss. 32(3), 36(1)(n)
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. This site additionally contains content derived from EUR-Lex, reused under the terms of the Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of documents from the EU institutions. For more information see the EUR-Lex public statement on re-use.
