DefencesN.I.
20.—(1) It is a defence for a person charged (“A”) with an offence under these Regulations, except for the offences in regulation 18 (obstruction), to prove that their actions were carried out with lawful authority or that they took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence.
(2) Where A wishes to rely on the defence in paragraph (1), A must serve on the prosecutor a written notice of that fact in accordance with paragraph (4).
(3) Where the defence provided by paragraph (1) involves an allegation that the commission of the offence was due to the act or default of another person, A is not, without leave of the court, entitled to rely on that defence unless A has served on the prosecutor a written notice in accordance with paragraph (4) giving such information identifying or assisting in the identification of that person as was then in A’s possession.
(4) The notice must be served—
(a)at least seven clear days before the hearing, and
(b)where A has previously appeared before a court in connection with the alleged offence, within one month of A’s first such appearance.
Commencement Information
I1Reg. 20 in operation at 25.6.2010, see reg. 1(1)