Part 4Foreign activities and foreign influence registration scheme
Political influence activities of foreign powers
71Offence of carrying out etc political influence activities pursuant to unregistered foreign influence arrangement
1
This section applies where a person (“P”) makes a foreign influence arrangement required to be registered under section 69(3).
2
P commits an offence if—
a
after the end of the registration period P carries out a political influence activity, or arranges for a political influence activity to be carried out, in the United Kingdom pursuant to the arrangement,
b
the arrangement is not registered, and
c
P knows, or having regard to other matters known to them ought reasonably to know, that they are acting pursuant to a foreign influence arrangement.
3
A person other than P commits an offence if—
a
after the end of the registration period the person carries out a political influence activity, or arranges for a political influence activity to be carried out, in the United Kingdom pursuant to the arrangement,
b
the arrangement is not registered, and
c
the person knows, or having regard to other matters known to them ought reasonably to know, that they are acting pursuant to a foreign influence arrangement.
4
In this section the “registration period” means the period before the end of which P must register the arrangement (see section 69(3) and (4)).
5
In proceedings for an offence under subsection (3) it is a defence to show that the person—
a
took all steps reasonably practicable to determine whether the arrangement was registered, and
b
reasonably believed that the arrangement was registered.
6
A person is taken to have shown a matter mentioned in subsection (5) if—
a
sufficient evidence of the matter is adduced to raise an issue with respect to it, and
b
the contrary is not proved beyond reasonable doubt.