Part 1Espionage, sabotage and persons acting for foreign powers
Entering and inspecting places used for defence etc
I15Unauthorised entry etc to a prohibited place
1
A person commits an offence if—
a
the person—
i
accesses, enters, inspects or passes over or under a prohibited place, or
ii
causes an unmanned vehicle or device to access, enter, inspect or pass over or under a prohibited place,
b
that conduct is unauthorised, and
c
the person knows, or having regard to other matters known to them ought reasonably to know, that their conduct is unauthorised.
2
A person’s conduct is unauthorised if the person—
a
is not entitled to determine whether they may engage in the conduct, and
b
does not have consent to engage in the conduct from a person so entitled.
3
In subsection (1)(a) a reference to inspecting a prohibited place includes taking, or procuring the taking of, photographs, videos or other recordings of the prohibited place.
4
For the purposes of this section, a person engages in conduct mentioned in subsection (1)(a) if the person does so in person or by electronic or remote means.
5
A person who commits an offence under this section is liable—
a
on summary conviction in England and Wales, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding the maximum term for summary offences or a fine (or both);
b
on summary conviction in Scotland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both);
c
on summary conviction in Northern Ireland, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale (or both).