{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/charities-act-northern-ireland-2008/section-156",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/charities-act-northern-ireland-2008/section-156.json",
  "legislation": "nia/2008/12",
  "legislation_title": "Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/charities-act-northern-ireland-2008",
  "path": "section/156",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "156",
  "heading": "False statements relating to institutions which are not registered charities",
  "text": "(1) Where—\n(a) a person solicits money or other property for the benefit of an institution in association with a representation that the institution is a registered charity, and\n(b) the institution is not such a charity,\nthat person is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale.\n(2) In any proceedings for an offence under subsection (1), it shall be a defence for the accused to prove that the accused believed on reasonable grounds that the institution was a registered charity.\n(3) In this section “registered charity” means a charity which is for the time being registered in the register of charities kept under section 16.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nia/2008/12/section/156",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:21:21.326157+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}