Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

158 Wrongful disclosure of information. U.K.

(1) A person who is or has been employed (whether as a detainee custody officer, prisoner custody officer or otherwise)—

(a) in accordance with escort arrangements,

(b) at a contracted out [F1 removal centre], or

(c) to perform contracted out functions at a directly managed [F1 removal centre],

is guilty of an offence if he discloses, otherwise than in the course of his duty or as authorised by the Secretary of State, any information which he acquired in the course of his employment and which relates to a particular detained person.

(2) A person guilty of such an offence is liable—

(a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to a fine or to both;

(b) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum or to both.

(3) “Contracted out functions” means functions which, as the result of a contract entered into under section 150, fall to be performed by detainee custody officers or certified prisoner custody officers.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 158 substituted (10.2.2003) by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 66(2)(3)(i), 162(1) (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/1, art. 2, Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 158 extended (2.7.2018) by The Short-term Holding Facility Rules 2018 (S.I. 2018/409), rules 1, 57(c) (with rule 3)