PART 2Offences
Offences3
1
A person who, in the manufacture of any rinse-off personal care product, uses microbeads as an ingredient of that product is guilty of an offence.
2
A person who supplies, or offers to supply, any rinse-off personal care product containing microbeads is guilty of an offence.
3
A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1) or (2) is liable on summary conviction to a fine.
Defence of due diligence for suppliers4
1
Subject to paragraphs (2) and (4), in proceedings for an offence under regulation 3(2) it is a defence for a person (“P”) to show that P took all reasonable steps and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence.
2
P may not rely on a defence under paragraph (1) which involves a third party allegation unless P has—
a
served a notice in accordance with paragraph (3); or
b
obtained the leave of the court.
3
The notice must—
a
give any information in P’s possession which identifies or assists in identifying the person who—
i
committed the act or default; or
ii
supplied the information on which P relied; and
b
be served on the person bringing the proceedings not less than 7 clear days before the hearing of the proceedings.
4
P may not rely on a defence under paragraph (1) which involves an allegation that the commission of the offence was due to reliance on information supplied by another person unless it was reasonable for P to have relied upon the information, having regard in particular—
a
to the steps that P took, and those which might reasonably have been taken, for the purpose of verifying the information; and
b
to whether P had any reason to disbelieve the information.
5
In this regulation, “third party allegation” means an allegation that the commission of the offence was due—
a
to the act or default of another person; or
b
to reliance on information supplied by another person.
Time limit for the prosecution of offences5
1
An information relating to an offence under regulation 3 that is triable by a magistrates’ court may be so tried if it is laid within twelve months after the date on which evidence sufficient in the opinion of the prosecutor to justify the proceedings comes to the knowledge of the prosecutor.
2
No proceedings are to be brought more than three years after the commission of the offence.