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Environmental Protection Act 1990
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- UK Public General Acts
- 1990 c. 43
- Part IX
- Section 159
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Changes to legislation:
Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 159 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 27 November 2024. 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.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 33(10A) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 20(2)(a)
- s. 33A(10)(a) words in s. 33A(10) renumbered as s. 33A(10)(a) by 2024 asp 13 s. 11(2)(a)
- s. 33A(10)(a) words substituted by 2024 asp 13 s. 11(2)(b)
- s. 33A(10)(b) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 11(2)(c)
- s. 33ZB(10A) inserted by 2021 c. 30 s. 69(3)(b)
- s. 34(6A) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 20(2)(b)
- s. 34ZB(8A) inserted by 2021 c. 30 s. 69(5)(b)
- s. 34ZC inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 14(3)
- s. 44ZA(2)(aa) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 16(3)(c)
- s. 44ZZA inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 16(2)
- s. 46ZA-46ZE inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 15(2)
- s. 47B inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 17(2)
- s. 59(1A) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 12(1)(a)
- s. 59(10)-(13) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 12(1)(e)
- s. 71A inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 13(2)
- s. 88C 88D inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 18(2)
- s. 106A inserted by 2023 c. 6 s. 41(2)
- s. 140(10A)-(10D) inserted by 2024 asp 13 s. 21(2)
- s. 161(2AA)(2AB) inserted by 2016 anaw 3 s. 69(4)
159 Application to Crown.E+W+S
(1)Subject to the provisions of this section, the provisions of this Act and of regulations and orders made under it shall bind the Crown.
(2)No contravention by the Crown of any provision of this Act or of any regulations or order made under it shall make the Crown criminally liable; but the High Court or, in Scotland, the Court of Session may, on the application of any public or local authority charged with enforcing that provision, declare unlawful any act or omission of the Crown which constitutes such a contravention.
(3)Notwithstanding anything in subsection (2) above, the provisions of this Act and of regulations and orders made under it shall apply to persons in the public service of the Crown as they apply to other persons.
(4)If the Secretary of State certifies that it appears to him, as respects any Crown premises and any powers of entry exercisable in relation to them specified in the certificate that it is requisite or expedient that, in the interests of national security, the powers should not be exercisable in relation to the premises, those powers shall not be exercisable in relation to those premises; and in this subsection “Crown premises” means premises held or used by or on behalf of the Crown.
(5)Nothing in this section shall be taken as in any way affecting Her Majesty in her private capacity; and this subsection shall be construed as if section 38(3) of the M1Crown Proceedings Act 1947 (interpretation of references in that Act to Her Majesty in her private capacity) were contained in this Act.
(6)References in this section to regulations or orders are references to regulations or orders made by statutory instrument.
(7)For the purposes of this section in its application to Part II and Part IV the authority charged with enforcing the provisions of those Parts in its area is—
(a)in the case of Part II, any waste regulation authority, and
(b)in the case of Part IV, any principal litter authority.
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 159(4): functions excercisable concurrently (1.7.1999) by the Scottish Ministers and Ministers of the Crown after consultation with the Secretary of State by S.I. 1999/1750, art. 3, Sch. 2
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